Key races to watch on Long Island this Election Day

LONG ISLAND - Election Day 2024 is just a week away, and Long Island could play a key role in deciding which party controls Congress. 

Home to about three million people, it’s become a battleground despite being in deep-blue New York, according to the Associated Press. These races are taking center stage:

• Nick LaLota vs John Avlon for New York's 1st Congressional District
• Tom Suozzi vs Mike LiPetri for New York's 3rd Congressional District
• Anthony D’Esposito vs Laura Gillen for New York's 4th Congressional District

***Click each headline to jump to the designated topic.

Early voting for New York residents began in person on Saturday, which was also the deadline to register to vote. 

Here's what you need to know about each race:

Check here for real-time race results on Election Day!

Nick LaLota vs John Avlon

First-term Republican incumbent Nick LaLota faces Democratic challenger John Avlon in the fight for New York's 1st Congressional District.

JUMP TO: NICK LALOTA l JOHN AVLON l ABOUT THE DISTRICT

The race is shaping up to be one of several key battlegrounds that could determine which party controls the House after the upcoming election. Both candidates have taken clear stances on major issues such as climate change and gun control, where their views diverge sharply. 

However, they agree on the need to lift the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction and to bolster border security.

Who is Nick LaLota?

Nick LaLota, the commissioner on the Suffolk County Board of Elections, is a first-term Republican seeking reelection.

"Nick learned the values of hard work and service to the community from his own family. It is that commitment to service which drives him to serve as our Member of Congress," a post on his website says.

According to his website, LaLota stands firm in his belief that he’s the right representative for the district. He touts his track record, including securing $150 million in federal funding for the district. He also claims Avlon doesn’t understand the concerns of Long Island residents. 

"He’s not from here, he doesn't get us, he lies about everything from abortion to the border and everything else he simply fails to understand our county because he's a Manhattan guy," LaLota said.

LaLota has served in the Navy. He's a husband and father of three who currently resides in Amityville.

Stance on abortion

LaLota says he would not vote for a federal abortion ban.

"My stance on abortion is much like that of former President Clinton: I do not oppose it in the first trimester or in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is at risk," he said. "However, I share the concerns of the majority of Americans regarding abortions in the second and third trimesters."

Stance on border

LaLota says the border situation has worsened under the Biden administration, as he calls the security of America’s southwest border "a matter of paramount importance."

"Now is the time for real solutions. We must enforce existing laws, hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable, and prioritize border security. It's imperative to compel action from an administration that has thus far neglected our nation's best interests."

Stance on affordability and taxes

LaLota says Biden, as well as Congress, must "incentivize the safe extraction of America's 43.8 billion barrels of proven oil reserves."

"Inflation is exacerbated by our $600 billion trade imbalance and supply chain disruptions caused by an over-reliance on overseas products. Congress must promote trade deals and regulations that support American manufacturing and ensure workers aren’t incentivized to stay home."

To see the rest of LaLota's stances, click HERE.

Who is John Avlon?

Democrat John Avlon, an author and former senior political analyst at CNN, left his job earlier this year to run.

"We need to build the broadest possible coalition to defeat Donald Trump, defend democracy and win back the House from his extreme MAGA minions. That’s why I'm running for Congress in New York's 1st district," a post on his website says.

A political commentator turned candidate, Avlon has made it clear that his focus is on unseating LaLota. Avlon has criticized LaLota's conservative positions – particularly on reproductive rights – citing the Republican’s support for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

"This is a guy who cheered for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, said it was a step in the right direction, and supports repealing New York's abortion laws," Avlon said.

Avlon also worked at City Hall as speechwriter for Rudy Giuliani, as well as an editor at The Daily Beast. He also helped create the centrist political group No Labels and authored books on political polarization.

He is married with two kids and currently resides in Sag Harbor.

Stance on abortion

Avlon says the decision to have an abortion should be "between a woman, her doctor, and her God – not the government."

"The fact is that young women today are growing up with fewer rights than their mothers did. Trump’s Supreme Court appointees took away the constitutional right to reproductive freedom after 50 years of Roe v Wade – and they lied to the American people about their determination to do it."

Stance on border

Avlon calls legal immigration "our nation's greatest renewable resource" but says "illegal immigration reduces faith that our system works fairly and effectively."

"That's why I strongly support the bipartisan border security bill which would have funded an additional 1,500 Customs and Border Protection personnel, raised the standards to make a legitimate asylum claim, and shutdown border crossings if border offices become overwhelmed.

Stance on affordability and taxes

Avlon says he'll fight to increase the Child Tax Credit "to help working families and move more kids out of poverty."

"Donald Trump and Washington Republicans raised our taxes – and they did it out of spite, as part of a political stunt so they could fund billions more in special tax breaks for big corporations and the super-rich."

To see the rest of Avlon's stances, click HERE.

About the district

Stretching from Montauk through Brookhaven and into parts of Huntington, Long Island's District 1 is politically diverse.

Democrats have made the suburban NYC district a priority this year in their bid to reclaim a majority in the House of Representatives. It’s one of several districts in the reliably Democratic states of New York and California that are seen as crucial to their chances.

President Joe Biden won the district in 2020 by a very small margin, but Democratic state lawmakers changed its borders slightly earlier this year to make it slightly more Republican, potentially giving other Democrats on the island a better chance at winning their races.

Anthony D’Esposito vs Laura Gillen

Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito vies to retain his seat against Democratic challenger Laura Gillen in New York's 4th Congressional Cistrict, a slice of Long Island with a majority of registered Democrats.

JUMP TO: ANTHONY D'ESPOSITO? | LAUREN GILLEN?

D’Esposito, a former NYPD detective, is framing Gillen as soft on crime and blaming Democratic immigration policies for the rise in migrant numbers, all while facing allegations that he hired his fiancée's daughter and his lover, placing them on his payroll.

Gillen, a former town supervisor, has countered these claims, pledging to support increased law enforcement and border security if elected. 

Even though Biden won NY-4 by 15 percentage points in 2020, D’Esposito narrowly defeated Gillen by four points in 2022. But many polls show their 2024 rematch to be a "toss-up," like the nonpartisan Cook Political Report and the Center for Politics.

Who is Anthony D'Esposito?

Before entering the political sphere, D'Esposito was a detective with the NYPD and chief of the Island Park Fire Department, according to this campaign biography.

In 2016, he began serving on Hempstead's town council and held the position until he was elected to Congress. Several members of his immediate family also held political positions in Nassau County, according to the New York Times.

He serves on a handful of congressional committees, including the House Committee on Homeland Security, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the House Committee on House Administration. D’Esposito has made public safety a priority of his campaigns and boasts of delivering millions of federal dollars to help local law enforcement. 

D'Esposito mistress, ethics scandal

D’Esposito may have violated ethics rules designed to combat nepotism and corruption, according to a New York Times article that alleges the longtime Republican had his fiancée’s daughter on his payroll as well as his mistress.

The congressional representative allegedly paid his mistress $29,000, according to the article that says payments stopped last summer, around the time his fiancée found out about his mistress. 

While the House Ethics Committee isn’t commenting, the House Code of Conduct prohibits members of Congress from employing relatives, including stepchildren, and forbids members from engaging in sexual relationships with employees under their supervision. 

"There are absolutely zero ethics violations, and my personal life is my personal life," D’Esposito told FOX 5 NY's Jodi Goldberg in a recent interview.

"The only reason it stopped is because he got caught," Gillen told Goldberg. 

D'Esposito on abortion

D'Esposito says he has never supported a national abortion ban and opposed efforts to restrict the accessibility of Mifepristone, according to his website.

D'Esposito on Israel

D'Esposito said he believes the United States must support Israel’s right to self-defense against ongoing threats from Hamas and Iran, while also countering economic aggression through the "Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions," (BDS) movement. He emphasizes standing with Israel to ensure its security and sovereignty, pledging to oppose any re-entry into the Iran nuclear deal. 

D'Esposito also plans to strengthen military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel, preserve policies like the Taylor Force Act, and maintain the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

D'Esposito on economy

According to D'Esposito, the economy has not fully rebounded from COVID-19-related business closures and mandates. He said he believes in lifting the regulatory barriers and lowering the tax burden facing families and small businesses.

He blames inflation and the high cost of living on President Joe Biden and Democrats, including his opponent. 

"She’s no good for taxes, the economy, the border," he said. "There is no doubt that Gillen has been rejected twice, and she'll be rejected a third time because people in [NY-4] know she's not right for the state or country." 

Who is Laura Gillen?

Gillen began serving as supervisor for Hempstead in 2017, the first Democrat elected to the position in 112 years. She is also an attorney and a mother of four. 

The Democratic candidate said she is confident in her ability to flip her district.

"We have far more resources this time so we’re really making sure that we are out there talking not just to Democratic voters but to independent and Republican voters," she told FOX 5 NY's Jodi Goldberg. 

Gillen on immigration

Gillen said she plans to work with both parties to secure the border, increase border patrol funding, invest in technology, and expedite asylum processes. She supports federal aid to New York for managing the migrant crisis and backs an earned pathway to citizenship for law-abiding immigrants.

Gillen on abortion

Gillen said opposes anti-abortion extremism and supports reinstating Roe v. Wade protections, passing the Women’s Health Protection Act, and safeguarding access to contraception and IVF.

Gillen on gun safety

She said she advocates for universal background checks, an assault weapons ban and expanding New York’s red flag laws to prevent violence.

Gillen on Israel

Gillen said she supports Israel, calling for the hostages’ return and a two-state solution, per her campaign's website.

Tom Suozzi vs Mike LiPetri

Tom Suozzi and Mike LiPetri are campaigning to represent New York's 3rd Congressional District in Nassau County and Queens.

JUMP TO TOM SUOZZI | MIKE LIPETRI | POLLS

Back on Oct. 8, Suozzi and LiPetri went face to face in a debate on News 12 Long Island covering issues including affordable housing, and national topics like the US-Mexico border.

Who is Tom Suozzi?

Suozzi is no stranger to New York's 3rd Congressional District, having been elected to represent the same constituents in 2018 and again in 2022. 

Suozzi declined to seek another term in Congress in 2022, instead throwing his hat into the Democrat primary in that year's race for governor in New York. 

But that bid ended in disappointment for Suozzi, who finished third behind Jumaane Williams and incumbent New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

That loss marked the second time Suozzi had failed in a bid to become New York's governor, coming 16 years after losing the Democratic primary to Elito Spitzer, who would go on to win the general election and serve as the state's governor until his 2008 resignation.

Before the unsuccessful first bid for governor, Suozzi served as mayor of Glen Cove, New York from 1994 until 2001, then became the Nassua County Executive in 2002, a seat he held until the end of 2009.

With the failed campaign for governor in the rear-view mirror, Suozzi announced in December that he would once again be seeking to serve in Congress by replacing Santos and won the seat in February's special election, defeating Republican Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip.

Suozzi also touted his history as a bipartisan dealmaker, arguing his experience aligns perfectly with what voters in the district want in a candidate.

Suozzi has increasingly talked about strengthening border policy, pointing out times when he bucked his own party on the issue when he was in Congress. He said recently that he would support a temporary closure of the U.S.-Mexico border to slow the flow of migrants into the country. Biden has used similar rhetoric on the border.

The U.S. representative has also stressed his deep experience in governing — his terms in Congress as well as stints as a mayor and a county executive on Long Island — as evidence he could strike bipartisan agreements on difficult issues, such as ongoing congressional negotiations over border control and the Israel-Hamas war.

Suozzi currently resides with his wife and three children in Glen Cove.

Suozzi on abortion

Suozzi said on his campaign website that he is "committed to ensuring that abortion is safe, legal, and accessible".

Suozzi on the economy

Suozzi told Patch.com that he wants to restore the local State and Local Tax deduction. 

"I will continue to bring money back to the district for local environmental, educational, and cultural projects," Suozzi said to Patch.com.

Suozzi on immigration

Suozzi wants to bring "order to the border", according to his campaign website. 

On his campaign website, Suozzi said he wants to strengthen security at the border, modernize the legal immigration system, and fix the outdated asylum system.

To learn more about Suozzi, click here.

Who is Mike LiPetri?

LiPetri is a former New York State Assemblyman. 

He graduated from Albany Law School in 2015 and got a job as an assistant corporation counsel for the New York City Law Department. LiPetri briefly worked as an associate attorney.

The New York Post said LiPetri is one of 35 lawmakers to make the NRCC’s "Young Guns" list.

"I’m running for Congress because I believe that our best years are ahead – that our future not only looks bright but is worth fighting for! But first, we must turn the pessimism many people feel, back into patriotism – to give them someone to vote for, not just vote against!" LiPetri said on his campaign website.

In 2019, LiPetri proposed a new law that would charge drug dealers with homicide if they illegally sell an opioid to someone who later died from an overdose. LiPetri calls it the "Death by Dealer" law.

"For a dealer who deals heroin on the streets, that user then overdoses on that heroin that evening or the next day and that link is shown, they can be charged with murder," LiPetri said.

LiPetri on abortion

LiPetri does not support a national abortion ban. 

"Don’t believe the lies you will hear. What I am wholeheartedly against are abortions in the third trimester only. Surveys show 80% of Americans agree with me on this stance," LiPetri said on his campaign website.

LiPetri on the economy

LiPetri told Patch.com that "we need to become more energy independent".

"When we lower energy costs, the costs of goods and doing business comes down across the board. Common sense economy policies that put American taxpayers first – it’s that simple," he said.

LiPetri on immigration

"We will immediately seal the southern border to all illegal immigration. Period. If you want to start a new life in this country and become a productive member of society then you need to get in line and follow the rules – just like everyone else," LiPetri said on his campaign website.

To learn more about LiPetri, click HERE.

The Associated Press and FOX News contributed to this report.