Nicole Malliotakis: Biography
Nicole Malliotakis is an American Republican politician who has represented New York's 11th Congressional District, covering Staten Island and part of southern Brooklyn, since 2021. The daughter of Greek and Cuban immigrants and a former state assemblywoman who ran for New York City mayor in 2017, she is, as of 2025, the only Republican representing New York City in Congress. This biography covers her origins, education, career, and rise, with citations to primary or strong secondary sources.
Early life and family
Nicole Malliotakis was born on November 11, 1980, in Manhattan, and moved to Staten Island at age two, growing up in the Great Kills neighborhood 12. She is the daughter of immigrants: her father came from Greece, and her mother was a Cuban exile who left Cuba in 1959 following the rise of Fidel Castro 13. Malliotakis was baptized into and raised in the Greek Orthodox faith, and she has often cited her immigrant heritage as shaping her appreciation for American freedom and opportunity 14. Her family background is central to her political identity.
Education
Malliotakis graduated from New Dorp High School on Staten Island in 1998, where she was elected class president her senior year 1. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Seton Hall University in 2001, completing her degree in three years while working, and later a Master of Business Administration from Wagner College on Staten Island in 2010 15. Her education preceded a career in public affairs and government.
Early career
Before elected office, Malliotakis built a career in government and public affairs. She worked as a community liaison for state senator John Marchi and then on the staff of Governor George Pataki from 2004 to 2006, and later worked on state energy policy as a public-affairs manager for Consolidated Edison 16. She also served as an aide on Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign 6. This background prepared her for elected office.
Personal life
Malliotakis is multilingual, speaking English and Spanish fluently and some Greek, and she is, by her own account, the only Hispanic Republican elected official citywide in New York 27.
She is an advocate for animal rights and animal-cruelty laws and has spoken about her chihuahua, Luna 2. Net worth figures were not reliably established in the research underlying this piece.
New York State Assembly
Malliotakis was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2010, defeating a two-term Democratic incumbent, and she served from 2011 to 2020 (representing the 60th district from 2011 to 2012 and the 64th district from 2013 to 2021) 18. She made elder rights, transit, Hurricane Sandy recovery, and tax relief hallmarks of her Assembly tenure, becoming a prominent Staten Island and Brooklyn Republican voice 13. Her Assembly record built her political base.
2017 mayoral campaign
While in the Assembly, Malliotakis was the Republican nominee for mayor of New York City in 2017, winning the nomination unopposed after another candidate withdrew 1. She lost decisively to incumbent Democrat Bill de Blasio citywide, roughly 66 percent to 28 percent, but performed far better in the Staten Island and Brooklyn areas that would become her congressional district, winning about 67 percent there 19. The race raised her profile and foreshadowed her congressional run. It is detailed in the campaigns section of this series.
Election to Congress
In 2020, Malliotakis ran for the U.S. House in New York's 11th District and defeated incumbent Democrat Max Rose, flipping the seat and taking office in January 2021 18. The district, covering Staten Island and southern Brooklyn, was the only New York City district carried by Donald Trump in 2016, making it the city's most competitive seat for a Republican 9. She has since been re-elected and become NYC's lone Republican in Congress. Her campaigns are detailed in the campaigns section of this series.
In Congress
In Congress, Malliotakis serves on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and has focused on tax relief, the SALT deduction, border security, infrastructure, and Staten Island and Brooklyn priorities 10. She has compiled a record that mixes strong support for President Trump with occasional independence from her party, including her votes for the bipartisan infrastructure law and the Respect for Marriage Act 11. Her record is detailed in the legislative and policy sections of this series.
Place in American politics
Nicole Malliotakis's biography is that of a daughter of Greek and Cuban immigrants who rose through Staten Island and Brooklyn politics to become New York City's only Republican in Congress. From the State Assembly through a high-profile mayoral run to a flipped congressional seat, she built a profile around tax relief, immigrant roots, and her competitive outer-borough district. Her combination of Trump-aligned conservatism and selective independence in a closely watched seat makes her a distinctive figure in New York and national politics, as explored across the other sections of this series.