My Decision

I’m putting my family first, but I’m not giving up the fight

This has been a difficult decision. I loved running for Congress last year. I was inspired talking with people from Huntington to Montauk, listening to their hopes and fears, and proposing solutions to the common problems we face.

I resigned from CNN to get into the arena because I believed that the stakes of the 2024 election were so high for our country and our community. We are now living through the chaos and corruption, the assault on democracy and the rule of law, that so many of us warned would occur.

I'm proud of the fact that we won more votes than any Democrat in our district’s history – and that NY-01 received the most total votes of any congressional district in our state. We were even able to win over a few election districts that voted for Trump. The coming midterms promise to be a strong cycle – and Suffolk County deserves better than the Trump flunky Nick LaLota has proven himself to be, with votes to cut heath care that will hurt working families while gutting clean energy initiatives and blowing up the deficit and the debt.

After the election, many of you asked me to run again in 2026. I’m humbled by your support. But running for office requires an all-in effort. At this time, my young children need and deserve two present parents; and you need and deserve a candidate who can devote 110% of their time and energy in standing up to Donald Trump’s dangerous agenda.

After careful consideration and consultation, I have decided to not run in next year's congressional election. I say this with a heavy heart out of love and loyalty for our supporters and a deep commitment to helping turn Suffolk blue.

Simply put, I'm putting my family first, but I’m not giving up the fight.

We The People hold up our democracy first and foremost as citizens, not just as candidates. In the words of Long Island’s own Theodore Roosevelt, we all must do what we can, where we are, with what we've got.

There are many different ways to stay in the arena. I intend to do everything I can to help local Democrats hold and gain seats in the Suffolk Legislature and town council seats that are in play from Huntington to Southold and Southampton. Winning those elections is essential ahead of next year’s midterms. I will remain active in the media - in podcasts and video, a new book and this Substack - while staying active in the civic life of New York in my role as chairman of Citizens Union, which has been fighting for reform for over a century.

We all have a lot of work ahead to defend American democracy while rebuilding the middle of our politics and the middle of our economy. For now, I will be doing that as a citizen. But I guarantee you that when my children don’t care if I sing them prayers and put them to bed at night, when baseball practices and ice cream stops cease to be the day’s highlight, you’ll find me back pursuing public service.

Thank you to all my supporters and team from the bottom of my heart. Let’s keep the faith and keep fighting the good fight.

All the best, always – John Avlon