Prior to that, he was a columnist and associate editor forThe New York Sun, and chief speechwriter for former Mayor of New York CityRudy Giuliani. He has written four books.
Avlon started his career as a speechwriter for Mayor Rudy Giuliani.[14] He later became Giuliani's chief speechwriter and deputy director of policy.[15] He is a former senior fellow at theManhattan Institute[16] and advisory board member of theCitizens Union of New York, Bronx Academy of Letters, and the Theodore Roosevelt Association.[17]
Avlon joinedThe Daily Beast in 2008 one month after its launch. He started as a columnist and eventually became political editor, executive editor, and then managing editor.[18] In 2013, Avlon became editor-in-chief ofThe Daily Beast.[19] As editor-in-chief ofThe Daily Beast, Avlon was cited for supporting original and breaking content for the platform.[20]
In May 2018, Avlon announced his departure fromThe Daily Beast. He joinedCNN as a senior political analyst and anchor.[21]
Avlon created and hosted the "Wingnut of the Week" segment onCNN.[31]
In June 2018, Avlon moved to CNN full time as senior political analyst making daily appearances onNew Day, as well as guest anchoring for programs includingState of America andReliable Sources.[32][33]
In September 2021, CNN announced the debut of the digital seriesReality Check with John Avlon: Extremist Beat, which was created to track the rise of extremist groups in America.[38][39][40]
In 2024, Avlon appeared as a commentator in the History Channel docuseriesThomas Jefferson, a six-part series directed by Jon Hirsch that explores the life and legacy of the Founding Father.[41][42]
Books
In 2010, Avlon publishedWingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America about the evolution of fringe political movements and their inroads into mainstream American politics.
In 2011, Avlon co-edited the anthologyDeadline Artists: America's Greatest Newspaper Columns with Jesse Angelo andErrol Louis.[43] The book earned a starred review fromPublishers Weekly prior to publication.[44] The trio edited and published a sequel in 2012,Deadline Artists 2: Scandals, Tragedies and Triumphs.[45]
In 2017, Avlon publishedWashington's Farewell: The Founding Father's Warning to Future Generations.
In April 2018, it was announced that Avlon was working on a book on Lincoln planned for release in 2020, focusing on the final five weeks of Lincoln's life.[46][47]
Avlon's book titledLincoln and the Fight for Peace was released in February 2021.[48][49]The New York Times reviewed the book, writing "These are not unfamiliar tales to students of Lincoln, but Avlon makes the retelling affecting and powerful. At the same time, Avlon plays down the highly ideological Lincoln."[50]
Political activism
In 2010, Avlon was a co-founder ofNo Labels, a501(c)(4) bipartisan political group.[51][52] However, since 2013, Avlon has not been involved in No Labels, when he became editor-in-chief ofThe Daily Beast. In 2023, he published a column on CNN critical of the group's potential third party presidential effort, calling it "an extraordinarily reckless risk at this particular time in our history."[53]
In 2011, MayorMichael Bloomberg appointed Avlon to the New York City Voter Assistance Advisory Committee. The VAAC advises the New York City Campaign Finance Board on its voter engagement mandates, including voter registration and participation outreach activities.[54][55]
2024 U.S. House campaign
On February 21, 2024, he announced that he would challenge incumbent RepublicanU.S. House representativeNick LaLota inNew York's 1st congressional district.[56][57] He won his primary on June 25, defeating opponentNancy Goroff.[6] On Election Day, November 5, Avlon lost the general election to Representative LaLota. However, he ran two points ahead of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the district, while LaLota ran two points behind Republican nominee Donald Trump.[58]
Associations
Avlon is on the board of governors for theOverseas Press Club and the board of directors for the House of Speakeasy.[59][60] He also served as co-chair for the successful effort to preserveJohn Steinbeck's home in Sag Harbor and turn it into a writer's retreat.[61] Additionally he is currently the Chair of theCitizens Union Board of Directors.[62]
