--- title: Chris Gallant Loses House Bid After Leak of Fetish-Themed Modeling Photos description: Republican Rep. Nick LaLota has won re-election in the New York race. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/11/05/democrat-chris-gallant-house-new-york-modeling-photos-leak-2026-midterm-elections/ author: Rebecca Schneid article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-11-03T00:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-11-05T17:42:32.111Z article:section: Politics og:title: Chris Gallant Loses House Bid After Leak of Fetish-Themed Modeling Photos og:description: Republican Rep. Nick LaLota has won re-election in the New York race. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/11/05/democrat-chris-gallant-house-new-york-modeling-photos-leak-2026-midterm-elections/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ba938df845cbfcc/6ae8b89e12e9c05ed89f164d/GettyImages-2300965739.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: GettyImages-2300965739.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Chris Gallant Loses House Bid After Leak of Fetish-Themed Modeling Photos twitter:description: Republican Rep. Nick LaLota has won re-election in the New York race. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ba938df845cbfcc/6ae8b89e12e9c05ed89f164d/GettyImages-2300965739.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Democrat Chris Gallant Loses House Race After Leak of Old Fetish-Themed Modeling Photos > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7d557c47-58c5-4ada-aeeb-0cd391a2e899&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter Nov 3, 2026 12:00 AM UTC  Congressional candidate Chris Gallant attends the NAACP Huntington Meet the Candidates Night held at the South Huntington public library in Huntington Station, New York ,on Oct. 15, 2026. Congressional candidate Chris Gallant attends the NAACP Huntington Meet the Candidates Night held at the South Huntington public library in Huntington Station, New York ,on Oct. 15, 2026. Steve Pfost—Newsday RM/Getty Images  by [Rebecca Schneid](https://time.com/author/rebecca-schneid/)  ## Rebecca Schneid Reporter Nov 3, 2026 12:00 AM UTC Listen 00:001.0x02:51 Narrated by TIME AI. Republican Rep. Nick LaLota has won re-election in New York’s 1st Congressional District in a race that drew national attention after fetish-themed photos that his Democratic challenger had posed for years earlier were published by a media outlet. The Associated Press called the race for LaLota over Gallant, a 37-year-old retired military pilot, volunteer firefighter, and former air traffic controller, on Thursday. **Read More:** [_Democrats Win Control of Both House and Senate in Huge Blow to Trump_](https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/democrats-win-control-of-senate-in-blue-wave-election/) When the centrist Gallant received the Democratic nomination in June, he was viewed by Democrats as someone who could give LaLota a run for his money in the reliably Republican Long Island district. But Gallant’s congressional bid was disrupted in September, when the New York _Post_ published an article revealing a photo campaign featuring Gallant modeling leather and other BDSM-related garb for fetish retailer Mr. S Leather. The photographs had been taken in San Francisco in 2010, before Gallant turned 21, and featured the New Yorker engaging in several different sex acts with other men. Gallant told the New York _Times_ that he had requested that the retailer delete the shots shortly before he announced his candidacy in August 2025\. The photographs were found anyway, triggering what could have potentially been a campaign-ending scandal. “This is a coordinated political hit meant to drive me out of this race,” Gallant said in a [Facebook video](https://www.facebook.com/reel/3703462986477659) soon after the _Post_ story dropped. “Look, I am very proud of who I am, and I won’t be shamed into silence.” Gallant decided to use the photograph release in his favor, and redirected publicity around the scandal back to his campaign promises. Soon after the article dropped, Gallant’s social media team [posted a new ad of him](https://www.instagram.com/%5Fgallantny/p/DdXNo9XlBFU/?hl=en&img%5Findex=1) which read “Make Politics Sexy Again.” “You know what’s sexy? A plan that actually delivers for Long Island,” the post read. Gallant's bid ultimately fell short, with LaLota garnering 51.1% of the vote compared to the Democrat's 48.9% with 97% of ballots counted, according to [the AP](https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/new-york-us-house-results/#1). LaLota declared victory on Tuesday night, when partial results released after polls closed in New York showed him leading Gallant. "To every Long Islander who voted for me, thank you for your trust," the congressman said. "I will work hard every day to keep that trust. And for those who didn’t vote for me, I want you to know something: I am your congressman too." Gallant said in a [video](https://x.com/%5Fgallantny/status/2118092094980120800) posted to his social media on Wednesday that he had called LaLota to concede. "Last night, the voters of the first district made their decision, and I fully respect it," Gallant said, adding, "I wish Congressman LaLota well, and I hope he works on the things that we all told him we care about." ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/11/05/democrat-chris-gallant-house-new-york-modeling-photos-leak-2026-midterm-elections/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/11/05/democrat-chris-gallant-house-new-york-modeling-photos-leak-2026-midterm-elections/"},"headline":"Democrat Chris Gallant Loses House Race After Leak of Old Fetish-Themed Modeling Photos","datePublished":"2026-11-03T00:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-11-05T17:42:32.111Z","description":"Republican Rep. 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