Nicole Malliotakis: Relationships

Donald Trump

A central relationship in Malliotakis's career is her alignment with Donald Trump. She has repeatedly endorsed him, including in 2024, co-sponsored resolutions to expunge his impeachments, and voted against his second impeachment ¹. At the same time, she has occasionally diverged from him, including saying she disagreed with his 2025 commutation of George Santos's sentence and voting in 2026 against his effort to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants ¹. The relationship is one of general alignment with notable exceptions.

Max Rose

Malliotakis's defining electoral rivalry was with Max Rose, the Democratic incumbent she defeated in 2020 and again in a 2022 rematch ². The contests between them, in a competitive district each sought to claim, were among the most closely watched House races in New York, and Rose was a prominent critic of her early votes ^2,3. The rivalry, detailed in the campaigns and controversies sections of this series, was central to her path to and tenure in Congress.

The Staten Island and Brooklyn GOP

Malliotakis's base rests on the Staten Island and southern Brooklyn Republican network, the heart of New York City's small Republican electorate ⁴. Her long career representing the area in the Assembly and Congress, and her strong performance there even in her losing 2017 mayoral race, reflect deep ties to the borough's Republican organization and voters ^4,5. This local base underpins her electoral strength. It is the foundation of her political network.

Bill de Blasio

Malliotakis's 2017 mayoral campaign defined her relationship with then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, whom she challenged and criticized over taxes, the city budget, and sanctuary-city policies ⁵. Though she lost decisively citywide, the campaign positioned her as a leading local critic of de Blasio and raised her profile ahead of her congressional run ⁵. The relationship was one of high-profile political opposition. It shaped her rise.

Marco Rubio

Malliotakis has a relationship with Marco Rubio dating to her work as an aide on his 2016 presidential campaign, an early connection to national Republican politics ⁶. The role linked her to a prominent national Republican before her own higher-profile candidacies. It reflected her engagement beyond New York state politics.

House Republican leadership and colleagues

As NYC's only Republican in Congress, Malliotakis works within the House Republican conference, where she was appointed Assistant Minority Whip in 2021 and serves on the Ways and Means Committee ⁷. Her relationships with party leadership are shaped by both her general loyalty and her occasional high-profile breaks, such as her infrastructure and Greene committee votes ⁸. She occupies a distinctive niche as a New York City Republican within the conference. Her standing balances loyalty and independence.

New York Democratic officials

Malliotakis's relationships with New York's predominantly Democratic officials have often been adversarial, particularly after her 2021 electoral-count votes, when numerous local Democratic officials publicly criticized her ³. As the city's lone Republican in Congress, she frequently stands opposite the Democratic officials who dominate New York City politics ⁹. These relationships are largely defined by partisan opposition. They reflect her minority position in city politics.

The shape of her network

Malliotakis's relationships map onto her identity as New York City's only Republican in Congress: anchored by general alignment with Donald Trump, defined electorally by her rivalry with Max Rose, rooted in the Staten Island and Brooklyn Republican network, and set against the backdrop of a heavily Democratic city. The distinctive feature is her position as an outer-borough Republican who combines Trump-aligned conservatism with the independence required to hold a competitive seat, leaving her both aligned with and occasionally at odds with figures across the political spectrum.