The Blue Wave swept over the former Republican strongholds of Southern Brooklyn and Staten Island, taking with it incumbent pols U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan and, potentially, state Sen. Marty Golden, likely leaving Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis the last Republican representing any part of Brooklyn.
Malliotakis, whose 64th Assembly District spans portions of Staten Island and Bay Ridge, was able to hold on to her Assembly seat. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, results showed Malliotakis with 59.3 percent of the vote (19,606), and her Democratic opponent, Adam Baumel, with 38.3 percent (12,656).
Malliotakis, a graduate of Wagner College, has served in the New York State Assembly since 2011. She ran on the Republican, Conservative, Independent and Reform Party lines.
She easily defeated Democratic challenger, U.S. Navy veteran Adam Baumel, in his first run for public office. In 2016, he served as an aide to Assemblymember Michael Benedetto, a Democrat representing the Bronx.
Malliotakis delivered her victory speech at the restaurant and catering hall Prive at 813 Annadale Rd. in Staten Island, the same venue where Donovan had delivered his concession speech earlier.
“It has been an absolute honor and a privilege to fight for the taxpayers of Bay Ridge and Staten Island and I look forward to continuing to serve my constituents for the next two years,” Malliotakis told this paper.
During her speech she highlighted some of the initiatives she’s spearheaded throughout her tenure in the Assembly. “Since I’ve been in office, we’ve been successful in stripping pensions from elected officials convicted of crimes, restoring local and express bus service, securing funding for senior centers and programs, and getting the Mayor to establish a property tax commission to rectify the unfair system that causes neighborhoods in southwest Brooklyn to pay more than other communities,” Malliotakis said.
“There is still more work to do be done for our community and I look forward to putting partisanship aside and working with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to deliver more results.”