Voters in New York’s 11th Congressional District could be forgiven for thinking Rep. Max Rose is seeking reelection against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a fellow Democrat.
Rose is actually running in the Staten Island and southern Brooklyn-based district against Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis. But in the city’s most conservative enclave, Rose, elected to the House in 2018, is trying to distance himself from far-left figures such as Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. That’s made de Blasio an easier foil amid the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing shutdown of businesses and schools in New York City.
“Bill de Blasio is the worst mayor in the history of New York City. That’s the whole ad,” a short-sleeved-clad Rose said in a September digital spot.
That’s in character for Rose, who fancies himself a populist political street brawler, touting to voters his U.S. Army service as a platoon leader in Afghanistan, where he was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. Yet Rose can hold his own in Washington with many well-educated peers, after college at Wesleyan University and earning a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.
Malliotakis, 39, has been a member of the New York Assembly since 2011. And unlike Rose, 33, she’s actually run for mayor against de Blasio — though it didn’t go well. In 2017, as the Republican nominee, Malliotakis lost to de Blasio, 66%–28%, as he won a second term.
The 11th District has a distinct Republican lean, as President Trump in 2016 beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton there 54%-44%. But the House seat has flipped back-and-forth between the parties over the past dozen years due to redistricting, retirements, scandals, and resignations.
