Malliotakis Wraps Last Day of Campaign in Heated Race for New York's 11th Congressional District

It's a game of confidence in the last hours of the most contested Congressional election in New York City and one of the closest watched races in the country.

What You Need To Know

  • Malliotakis and Rose are neck and neck, according to a recent poll

  • The 11th Congressional District stretches into Southern Brooklyn

  • Rose is a one-term incumbent who ran as a moderate

  • Malliotakis has tied Rose to Mayor de Blasio and the party's liberal wing

"I feel great. I see that people here are coming out in droves," said Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, who is challenging incumbent Democrat Max Rose in a heated race in New York's 11th Congressional District. "People want to restore public safety, they're upset how far left the city has gone and they're coming out to send a strong message," Malliotakis said. 

Although she didn’t back him in 2016, Malliotakis has adopted President Donald Trump's messaging, tying Democrats to crime and disorder and her opponent to Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is not popular in the district. 

"They want to preserve our country. They want to preserve this nation and also stop socialism from taking over," Malliotakis said. 

Although Mayor de Blasio sat out this campaign, Malliotakis has repeatedly said he endorsed Rose. That line of attack is the subject of several ads, despite it not being completely true. De Blasio has said he supports Democrats, but has not taken a public position in this specific contest. That's created enough room for Malliotakis to launch her attacks. 

"The mayor made it very clear he supports Democrats and there is only one Democrat in this race, that's Max Rose," she said. 

Malliotakis and her supporters, including Councilman Joe Borelli, say they're confident she'll secure enough votes to turn this seat back red. 

"I think people in the bubble of NYC can’t comprehend how much support there is for Nicole, for the president," Borelli said. 

On the last full day of campaigning, Malliotakis zigzagged Staten Island, stopping into supermarkets in parts of the district where she's popular and at the Staten Island Ferry as commuters headed home. 

The campaign was marked by animosity and negative ads, but here in Malliotakis country support remained strong.

“She’s done a lot for this city, I wish she could be mayor,” a voter told NY1. "She has gotten a lot of things on our block done."

Both campaigns acknowledge it could be a close count, without a clear winner after the polls close. Both camps say they're prepared for a fight that could extend beyond election night.

Rose Campaigns on North Shore in Final Push Before Election Day

With about 24 hours to go, Max Rose was making his final pitch to voters.

Walking through an apartment complex in Park Hill on the North Shore of Staten Island, he still had his energy on election eve.

What You Need To Know

  • Rose was elected in 2018, beating out a Republican in the city’s only swing seat

  • Polling shows this is an incredibly right race

  • A third of active voters on Staten Island have already cast their ballots

“Stood outside of a supermarket for a little bit, knocked on some doors,” Rose said. “And we’re gonna keep doing this until 9 or 10 o’clock.”

“How are you feeling?” we asked.

“I feel great,” he replied. “But, you know, I always feel great.”

When the freshman Congressman was knocking on doors here on the North Shore of Staten Island he had clearly won some people over. He galloped up to honking cars, clasping hands with the voters inside.

This is a solid blue section of the district. From the sound of voters here, you wouldn’t think Rose was locked in a very tight re-election battle against Nicole Malliotakis.

“In 2021, 2022 what does Nicole Malliotakis run as next?” Rose asked. “2017 she ran as a liberal. 2018 she ran as a moderate. Now she runs as a Trump-loving conservative. Next election maybe it’s DSA, who knows. That’s the real question.”

The race is tight and Rose is hoping he can cling onto the swing seat he just won in 2018.

He’ll need the North Shore to turn out, though, and the Brooklyn section, too.

Already a third of registered voters in Staten Island have cast ballots during early voting, including many we met here.

The Rose team thinks there will be record turnout on Tuesday. They hope it’s in their favor.

“Let’s see how it plays out tomorrow, but the message has got to be for everyone to wait for the results, to take a collective deep breath, to have faith in our democracy, faith in our institutions and to keep the peace,” Rose said.