Nick LaLota
Nick LaLota, a Republican and Navy veteran who has represented New York's 1st congressional district since 2023, seeks re-election in 2026 against Democrat Chris Gallant, an air traffic controller.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Nick LaLota.
- Born
- June 23, 1978
- Birthplace
- Bay Shore, New York
- Education
- St. Anthony's High School
United States Naval Academy (2000)
Hofstra University (Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Nick LaLota was born on June 23, 1978, and is from Bay Shore, New York. After graduating from St. Anthony's High School, he completed his studies at the United States Naval Academy in 2000 and then served in the U.S. Navy for eight years, a period that included three overseas deployments.
He later earned a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor from Hofstra University. LaLota is married to Kaylie, a physical education teacher at Northport High School, and the couple have three daughters. He lives in Amityville, New York, and is Catholic.
Career
Before entering Congress, LaLota worked in Suffolk County government as chief of staff to the county's presiding officer, Kevin McCaffrey, and also served on the Suffolk Board of Elections and as a trustee of the village of Amityville.
In 2022 he ran to succeed Lee Zeldin, who was running for governor of New York, and won the general election on November 8 by defeating Democrat Bridget Fleming. He was sworn in on January 7, 2023, and won a second term in 2024 against Democrat John Avlon.
In the House, LaLota is a member of the Republican Governance Group and has been described as a moderate Republican. In 2023 he was one of 18 Republicans who voted against Jim Jordan's nomination for Speaker of the House on all three ballots.
In the 119th Congress he sits on the Committee on Appropriations, where he is vice chair of the Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, and on the Committee on Small Business, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure.
2026 race
The 1st district covers the eastern end and North Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, including the Hamptons, the North Fork, Riverhead, Port Jefferson, Smithtown and Shelter Island.
LaLota, who was re-elected with 55.52% of the vote in 2024, is the Republican nominee and also appears on the Conservative Party line.
His Democratic opponent is Chris Gallant, an air traffic controller who won the Democratic primary with 62.9% of the vote against Lukas Ventouras, a member of the Huntington Democratic Committee. The general election takes place on November 3, 2026.