Campaign 2020: Rose-Malliotakis Congressional Race Remains Tight And Heated Right Down To Election Day
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- One of the most contentious congressional races in the country is a swing district that includes Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn.
As CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported, it has been heated right down to the wire.
Democratic Rep. Max Rose was at a supermarket in the Stapleton section of Staten Island on Monday fighting for his political life against an onslaught from Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis in the 11th District, which Donald Trump won handily four years ago.
"Nicole, she's ending her campaign just as she started it, with ridiculous, disgusting lies. She has never run on anything that she has done or that she will do," Rose said.
MORE: Campaign 2020: Tri-State Area Voter Guide For Nov. 3 General Election
"There's a tremendous turnout and I believe it's to send a clear message to Max Rose, to Mayor (Bill) de Blasio, to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that people are fed up with the direction of this city," Malliotakis said.
MORE: Pundit: Intense Rose-Malliotakis Congressional Race A Toss Up
Malliotakis was at a supermarket in Fresh Kills Park trying to link Rose to de Blasio, who is highly unpopular on Staten Island.
"When it comes to taxes and increased spending, Max Rose and Bill de Blasio are pretty much the same person," Malliotakis said.
The Malliotakis campaign has implied that de Blasio endorsed Rose, when in fact de Blasio has said when it comes to congressional races, he supports the Democrat.
Rose, however, took pains to distance himself from his fellow Democrat.
"If Bill de Blasio even tried to endorse me I'd put the endorsement right in the middle of the street. I'd get in a truck, I'd drive over the endorsement. I'd go in reverse, I'd drive over it again, just to make sure the endorsement didn't survive," Rose said.
It has been an expensive race. The candidates raised $10 million and millions more were spent by outside groups. It's also clear this will be a high-turnout race. Sources told Kramer nearly 135,000 people went to the polls as early voters and some 52,000 requested absentee ballots. Over 38,000 have already been returned.
Although the two sides don't see eye to eye on much, they do agree that with so many absentee ballots, it could be weeks before a victor is declared.
Councilman Torres Looking To Make More History
The contest for the 15th Congressional District in the South Bronx pits a history-making councilman against a Republican trying to beat the odds, CBS2's Jessica Layton reported.
MORE: High Stakes In 2 Long Island Congressional Races As Campaign 2020 Gets Down To The Wire
Democrat Ritchie Torres, New York City's youngest City Council member, is trying to become the first Afro-Latino openly gay member of Congress. His opponent, Patrick Delices, is running as a conservative and has never held public office.
"I'm a rational Republican. I'm a compassionate conservative," Delices said.
"My focus is on making housing more affordable, put people back to work," Torres said.
Marijuana On The Ballot In New Jersey
In New Jersey, voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. Even if passed it could still take years to set up the industry.
In both New Jersey and New York early voting numbers have been impressive. But given all the absentee ballots that will need to be counted, it could be days or weeks before a winner is declared in some races.
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