For national Democrats, the path to a majority in the House of Representatives may not run across the Verrazanno Bridge.
New York’s 11th Congressional District in Staten Island and southern Brooklyn has largely been off the map for both parties in the fight for control of Congress.
“President Trump’s popularity is always a mixed bag in New York City, in my district, there are people who love him and people who don’t love him,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis told NY1. “At the end of the day I’m running my own race, I delivered for this community.”
The only Republican in the delegation from the city is running without attention from national Democrats. National Republicans, meanwhile, feel she is under no threat.
“We work hard, we delivered millions of dollars for this district, we have helped thousands of constituents through our casework. We are getting results for people who asked for real changes,” Malliotakis said.
Democrats have a chance of taking control of Congress due to stubborn inflation and higher gas prices. But most likely without New York’s 11th Congressional District.
Mike DeCillis, the Democratic candidate, said he’s found little support from the Democratic Party nationally and locally.
“We found that they have written this district off a long time ago. They had zero interest in trying to flip this thing,” he said.
DeCillis, an attorney and former police officer, is running as a mainstream progressive Democratic who supports Medicare for all.
“If we run a strong Democrat based on good Democratic values, that will resonate with the district,” he said.
Diane Savino, a former Democratic state senator from Staten Island, said candidates personally matter on Staten Island, where voters split their tickets.
“I think he’s going to try and focus on getting Democrats to turn out, because that’s the bigger challenge — do people just stay home because they don’t see a competitive race?” Savino said.
The Democratic leader on Staten Island, Assembly Member Charles Fall, said in a statement: “We are proud to support all of our Democratic nominees for every office we’ve endorsed. Executive and county committee members are contributing financially, members are actively volunteering, and we are running paid promotional advertising on behalf of all candidates.”
The borough’s grassroots progressives are holding weekly rallies called Malliotakis Mondays.
“They need to know there’s a reason to be engaged, there’s a reason to be enthusiastic,” Christine Johnson, of Staten Island Action Coalition, told NY1.
The Staten Island Republican leader, Assembly Member Mike Tannousis, said the party has its grassroots, too.
“Make no mistake: the most organized and strongest party on Staten Island is the Staten Island Republican Party,” he said.