Representative Nick LaLota, Republican of New York, secured a second term on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, turning back a spirited challenge by John Avlon, a former CNN commentator.
The victory by Mr. LaLota in New York’s First District was a key hold for Republicans as they sought to maintain a narrow House majority, and it extended the party’s recent dominance in eastern Long Island.
Mr. Avlon, a first-time candidate, made the race more competitive than either party initially expected. He proved to be a prolific fund-raiser and adroit messenger, portraying Mr. LaLota as a threat to abortion rights and an ally to Republican extremists he said were threatening American democracy itself.
But with 88 percent of the vote counted Tuesday night, Mr. LaLota was winning 56 percent of the vote compared with X44 percent for Mr. Avlon.
The race was one of a half-dozen swing contests in New York that have taken on unusual significance this year, as the number of competitive seats declined nationwide.
Mr. LaLota, 46, positioned himself as a moderate on key issues. He said he wanted to repeal the cap on the state and local tax deduction that former President Donald J. Trump signed into law. He also vowed to protect Social Security and oppose a federal abortion ban, while winning the unlikely backing of some labor unions.
His attacks against Mr. Avlon, who helped found the centrist political group No Labels, helped wear away at the Democrat’s moderate image. Some lines were familiar, like charges that Democrats were responsible for the influx of migrants over the southern border and rising costs closer to home.
But Mr. LaLota appeared to relish most lampooning Mr. Avlon as a “Manhattan elite” pretending to be a “fake Long Islander” based on tax records that showed the Democrat had declared a Manhattan co-op as his primary residence. Mr. Avlon only bought a home in Sag Harbor, in the district, in 2017.
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