Former Rep. Max Rose announced Monday he is running again for the House seat in New York that he lost in 2020 to Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis.
“I’m running for Congress in #NY11 because I can’t sit by while Republicans tear us apart just to hold onto power. The America we believe in is possible — one that is safe, affordable and fair,” Mr. Rose, a Democrat, said in a tweet. “All we need are leaders willing to risk it all to fight for it.”
Mr. Rose won the seat in 2018 by defeating incumbent GOP Rep. Dan Donovan in the conservative-leaning district, which encompasses all of Staten Island and a portion of Brooklyn.
The overwhelmingly blue-collar district has swung between the parties in recent election cycles, however, because of resignations, redistricting, retirements and scandals.
New York’s Democrat-run legislature has yet to redraw its congressional lines and the 11th District could become more favorable for a Democratic candidate.
Ms. Malliotakis, a former state lawmaker, defeated Mr. Rose in 2020 by about 6 percentage points, though Mr. Rose did better than President Biden, who lost to former President Donald Trump by 5 points.
Four years ago, Ms. Malliotakis gained traction running on a law-and-order campaign. This time, she finds herself walking a finer line.
She received the endorsement of Mr. Trump in 2020 and voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election, which will be used against her by Democrats.
She also was one of 13 Republicans who voted to pass the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure legislation. That vote brought the ire of Mr. Trump and the GOP base.
The National Republican Congressional Committee responded to Mr. Rose’s entry into the race by linking him to a far-left agenda.
“Staten Islanders rejected Max Rose and the Democrats’ socialist agenda in 2020 and they will do the same in 2022,” said NRCC spokeswoman Camille Gallo.
Correction: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story misidentified Max Rose’s political party. Mr. Rose is a Democrat.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.