John Avlon, CNN commentator, is in the race for the Long Island rocking chair

John Avlon, a Democrat and former CNN political analyst, announced Wednesday that he would enter a crowded congressional primary to try to flip a Republican-held swing seat on Long Island.

Avlon, a moderate who once worked for Rudolph W. Giuliani and helped found the centrist political group No Labels, has emerged in recent years as a piercing critic of former President Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party he calls image has been reformed.

In an interview, Avlon, 51, said he felt compelled to enter the political struggle from journalism to help “break this fever” and “drive out MAGA followers who are not even trying to solve problems in the national interest to solve'.

“The gravity of the times really hit me,” he said.

Winning the Suffolk County district will not be an easy task for a Democrat. It is currently held by Rep. Nick LaLota, a first-term Republican. Although President Biden won the district by 0.2 percentage points in 2020, Mr. LaLota sailed to an 11-point victory two years later.

Washington Democrats do not currently view the district as a top target comparable to the more favorable suburban swing seats elsewhere in New York. But that could yet change, as Democrats in Albany weigh whether to use a rare mid-decade court-ordered redistricting process to draw a more favorable congressional map.

And on Long Island, Democrats got a shot of optimism last week when Tom Suozzi won a special election, flipping a neighboring seat in Queens and Nassau County held by a Republican, George Santos.

But before any of that happens, Avlon will likely face a tough Democratic primary in June. Nancy Goroff, a wealthy retired chemistry professor who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2020, is considered the frontrunner. Jim Gaughran, a former senator, and Kyle Hill, a former congressional aide, are also seeking the nomination.

In the interview, Mr. Avlon said Ms. Goroff's unfavorable 2020 results “speak for themselves” and argued he was uniquely positioned to pitch a big tent to voters.

He cited the threat to abortion rights and the dangers of climate change as top priorities for the campaign. But he also said Democrats should learn from Mr. Suozzi's successful playbook and “go on the offensive” on issues like crime and the migrant crisis sweeping the southern border.

“This is too important to lose; we need candidates who can be attractive and energize not only Democrats but also independents,” he said. “That's the simple math of it.”

Mr. Avlon has deep connections in New York City politics and journalism. He served as Mr. Giuliani's policy adviser and chief speechwriter during his mayoralty and presidential campaign, or, as Mr. Avlon said, “when he was healthy again.” Mr. Avlon later joined The Daily Beast as a columnist and rose to editor-in-chief before joining CNN full-time as an on-air commentator in 2018.

But his ties to the district are more superficial. He had lived in Manhattan for many years and in 2017 bought a house in Sag Harbor, the wealthy enclave of the Hamptons, with his wife Margaret Hoover. She is a conservative and host of “Firing Line,” the PBS talk show. Voting records show Mr. Avlon voted in Suffolk County for the first time in 2020.

Critics from both sides waited only moments before striking Thursday.

“Avlon knows nothing about Suffolk County other than the croquet games in Sag Harbor and summer cocktail parties in Bridgehampton,” said Will Kiley, a spokesman for Mr. LaLota. He called Mr. Avlon a “Manhattan elitist” and the Republican incumbent president a “common-sense conservative voice.”

Ms. Goroff was more diplomatic, saying she would “welcome anyone who is willing to join the fight.” But behind the scenes, her allies were already stepping up attacks on Mr. Avlon and his political history with the Republicans, which will likely come to light in the coming months.

Susan C. Beachy research contributed.