NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Congresswoman-elect Nicole Malliotakis hopes to form her own "squad" of "new Republicans who love America" after she is sworn in next year, according to a report.
The Republican state assemblywoman, who defeated Democratic incumbent Max Rose in the race for the 11th Congressional District, which includes Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, will be the five boroughs' only Republican congressperson when she takes office in January.
In an interview with the New York Post, Malliotakis said New York City "needs a two-party system."
"We need someone who is going to be a counterbalance to AOC," she told the outlet, referring to Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"We need to form our own 'squad,'" she added, referencing a nickname used to refer to Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib.
The new "squad" could include other newly-elected Republicans whose relatives came from communist and socialist countries, she explained. Malliotakis' mother's family came to the U.S. from Cuba.
"We have a group of new Republicans who love America. We value freedom, liberty and opportunity," she said, adding that the group could be called the "freedom squad."
"Freedom for a strong economy. Less government. That's why our families fled oppressive regimes," she told the outlet. "Our families fled from oppressive countries with the very same policies that AOC and the Squad are promoting."
