Max Rose preparing for rematch with Nicole Malliotakis: report

Former House Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) is reportedly preparing to face Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) in a rematch of their 2020 New York 11th District election. 

Sources told Politico on Thursday that the Staten Island Democrat began hiring his campaign team after leaving his position on the Biden administration’s COVID-19 task force in June, and is already speaking to donors about his potential run for office.

“He’s rocking and rolling,” a source close to Rose told Politico. “He’s been assembling a team, talking to donors, speaking with community leaders. He’s been doing all the steps to line up to potentially make an announcement.”

Rose was one of the 13 Democratic lawmakers who lost their seats to GOP challengers in last November’s election, losing to Malliotakis after she went after the Army veteran for attending a Black Lives Matter protest during the summer of 2020. 

Rose intends to highlight Malliotakis’s recent voting record, which includes voting against creating the Jan. 6 bipartisan committee to investigate the Capitol attack, according to Politico. 

Malliotakis dismissed the possibility of a Rose reelection bid when asked. 

“The people of this district have already made themselves clear and they don’t want an anti-police, Pelosi puppet who flirts with socialism representing them in Congress,” Malliotakis said in a statement. 

Rose would join progressive activist Brittany Ramos DeBarros in the Democratic primary. She told Politico she spoke with Rose about the importance of beating Malliotakis next November.

“Max and I sat down to talk recently, and we agreed that with so much at stake for NY-11 families, removing Malliotakis should be our top priority,” DeBarros said.

New York Democrats have plans on redistricting the mostly conservative 11th district, which favored former President Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, Politico noted.