NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Mayor Bill de Blasio's endorsement has emerged as a controversial issue in the closely-watched Congressional race in New York’s 11th District.
Over the weekend, Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, who is seeking Democrat Max Rose’s seat in Congress, told voters that de Blasio had endorsed her incumbent opponent.
While de Blasio has not formally endorsed Rose, the mayor said he generally supports Democrats in their races.
Rose on Sunday rejected the idea that he would be endorsed by the mayor and said he’d never accept it.
“If the Mayor even tried to endorse me, I’d put the endorsement in the middle of the street, I’d get in a truck, and I’d drive over the endorsement,” the Democrat said in a NY1 Interview, which he posted to Twitter. “And then I’d get in reverse and drive over it again to make sure that endorsement did not survive.”
Rose has been distancing himself from the mayor, and even produced a political ad in which he called de Blasio “the worst mayor ever.”
The Democrat has accused Malliotakis and her campaign officials of trying to smear him by tying him to de Blasio.
Rose is looking for second term in New York’s 11th District, which happens to be New York City’s most conservative district. He defeated Republican incumbent Dan Donovan in 2018 to get the seat.
The race is being nationally watched.
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