Former CNN anchor John Avlon loses congressional race

Former CNN anchor John Avlon was defeated Tuesday night in his bid to represent New York’s 1st Congressional District in the House, Decision Desk HQ projects. 

Avlon, who ran as a Democrat, lost to Republican Rep. Nick LaLota, who won 55 percent of the vote to Avlon's 44 with more than 90 percent of the vote reported.

Avlon defeated Nancy Goroff, a professor emeritus of chemistry at Stony Brook University, to win the Democratic nomination earlier this year.

He spent years at CNN, joining the network full-time in 2018 after a stint as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast and a founding leader of the "No Labels" movement.

Democrats had targeted the Long Island congressional district as part of the party’s attempt to retake a majority in the House.