Former CNN anchor John Avlon announces run for Congress as a Democrat

Former CNN anchor John Avlon announces run for Congress as a Democrat

Former CNN anchor John Avlon on Wednesday announced a run for Congress in New York’s first district, adding to a crowded field of Democrats vying to unseat a first-term Republican.

Why it matters: The Long Island seat, currently held by Rep. Nick LaLota, was key to the GOP securing a razor-thin House majority in the 2022 midterm elections.

Driving the news: “Right now, our democracy’s in danger,” Avlon said in a video posted to social media Wednesday morning.

• “This election is not a drill. It’s up to all of us to step up and get off the sidelines,” he added.
• Avlon took aim at former President Trump, as well as “his MAGA minions, who don’t even seem interested in solving problems anymore.”

The big picture: Avlon left CNN earlier this month and previously served as editor in chief of The Daily Beast.

• He was also a co-founder of the centrist group No Labels, which in recent months has considered launching a third-party presidential bid.
• In a final piece for CNN, Avlon contemplated America’s “exhaustion with politics and news,” and took aim at the “cowardice and cynicism” of Trump and the House GOP.

What they’re saying: In a statement Wednesday, the House GOP’s campaign arm said Avlon’s decision to run “adds even more leftist fuel to an already crowded dumpster fire of a Democrat primary.”

• “We look forward to litigating this smug, liberal hack’s past,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Savannah Viar.

Between the lines: Democrats are fresh off a special election win in another New York congressional district — the one held by former Republican Rep. George Santos.

Go deeper: House Dems launch N.Y. “war room” for 2024

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from the NRCC.