NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Nicole Malliotakis has declared victory over first-term Democrat Max Rose in New York's battleground congressional district that includes Staten Island and southern Brooklyn.
Rose refused to concede on Election Night, saying 40,000 to 50,000 absentee ballots still have to be counted.
"We came in tonight saying we might not know a winner at the end of this evening and that is still the case. At this moment there are at a minimum 40,000 absentee ballots that were returned, with potentially 10,000 more in the mail," Rose said. "As a soldier who fought for our democracy. I believe every vote should be counted. I know my opponent will join me in ensuring that the Board of Elections must conduct a fair and transparent process that demonstrates the strength of our democracy, not undermines it. While we wait for the official results to be declared, I want to assure the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn that our work will continue."
Early returns showed Rose trailing his Republican challenger in the 11th Congressional District. As of midnight, with about 94% of precincts reporting, Malliotakis had 57% of the vote while Rose had 42%.
Malliotakis, a five-term State Assemblywoman who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2017, declared victory about an hour after polls closed.
"I entered this race with eyes wide open knowing that victory wouldn’t come easy. But, from the start I knew this race was never about me," she told supporters. "This race was always about you, the hardworking New Yorker who obeys the law, pays their taxes and gets up every morning and goes to work."