Avlon files to run for Congress after leaving CNN

Former CNN Anchor John Avlon filed to run for Congress after leaving the news network two weeks ago. 

Avlon will be running as a Democrat in New York’s 1st Congressional District, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) fillings. His decision to run for the lower chamber comes after he announced on Feb. 8 his departure from CNN where was an anchor and a senior political analyst. 

He joins a cohort of candidates on the Democratic side that are vying to unseat Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.). LaLota is serving his first term in Congress after succeeding former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.). He was one of a dozen Republican New York freshmen who contributed to flipping the lower chamber red in 2022. 

Avlon, the former editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, joined CNN in 2010 and became a full-time employee of the network in 2018. 

The former CNN political analyst will be running against former state Senator James Gaughran and former administrative law judge in New York City Craig Herskowitz who also worked for former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration. Organic chemist Nancy Goroff is also running in the primary after losing to Zeldin in 2020 by 11 points. 

New York’s 1st Congressional District covers the eastern area of Long Island and Suffolk County and is considered a purple swing seat. 

Puck reported on Feb. 9 Avlon’s intention to run for the seat.