Outgoing Congressman Max Rose filed paperwork to jump into New York City’s crowded mayoral race on Thursday.
Rose’s Dec. 10 filing with the Campaign Finance Board comes less than a month after he conceded defeat to state Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis in his re-election bid for the Staten Island and southern Brooklyn congressional seat.
The nail-biting race drew national attention as each candidate funneled millions of dollars into attack ads to win over the swing district.
Rose, a freshman congressman and Army veteran, eked out a victory in the 11th Congressional District against Republican Dan Donovan in 2018, becoming the first Democrat to serve Staten Island in more than 30 years. The district — which encompasses a swath of southern Brooklyn including Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bath Beach, as well as parts of Gravesend and Bensonhurst — is the most conservative in New York City, voting predominantly for President Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020.
In his two years in office, Rose has resisted criticizing Trump and made an effort to alienate himself from his left-leaning peers, such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Rose was famously one of the last Democrats to vote for Trump’s impeachment inquiry in 2019 after initially arguing that the process would “deepen divisions.” He later voted for Trump’s impeachment, arguing that his treatment of the Hunter Biden scandal in Ukraine went too far.
But what likely hurt Rose’s re-election chances the most was his participation in a march protesting the police killing of George Floyd in June. Some protesters at the demonstration shouted, “Defund the police” and held signs saying “ACAB,” short for “all cops are bastards,” making his appearance a frequent attack line in Malliotakis’ ads.
Rose focused on the march in his speech on election night, and said he didn’t regret participating.
“Young Staten Islanders marched to express their pain, and for that they were called rioters. They were called thugs, all on national television,” Rose said.
Shortly after Rose’s Nov. 12th concession to Malliotakis, rumors began circulating that he was considering a mayoral run.
Following his campaign filing on Dec. 10, the congressman posted a cryptic tweet hinting at an upcoming announcement.
“@Taylorswift13 is not the only one previewing news tonight,” he wrote, referencing the singer’s new album. “Stay tuned NYC!”
If Rose officially jumps into the mayoral race, he will join a crowded field of more than 20 other candidates across the political spectrum, including former de Blasio staffer Maya Wiley, Comptroller Scott Stringer, former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, former non-profit executive Dianne Morales, Citi Group executive Ray McGuire, and many others.
This story first appeared on AMNY.com.
