Former Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.) launched a comeback bid for his old House seat on Monday, setting up a potential rematch with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.).
“People tell me if I had listened to the polls instead of doing what I thought was right, I would have won,” Rose said in a video announcing his candidacy. “Maybe that’s true. But for me some things are much more important than elections.”
“The story of America has always been that we do what others say is impossible,” he added. “I’m Max Rose and I’m running for Congress.”
Rose was first elected to Congress in 2018 before losing reelection last year to Malliotakis, whose Staten Island congressional district has swung between the two parties for years.
The race for New York’s 11th District is seen as crucial for both parties as they compete for control of the House. Republicans need to net just five seats next year to recapture the majority in the lower chamber, putting intense pressure on Democrats.
The race for the 11th District could be shaped in the coming months by the decennial redistricting process. A map proposed by Democrats would seek to wrap Coney Island into the 11th District, making it more favorable for Democrats.
Still, the party of a new president tends to lose ground in midterm elections, and given Democrats’ narrow majority in the House, the party faces an uphill battle to hold onto political power next year.
Rose, a 35-year-old Army veteran who was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan, has been hinting in recent months about a potential comeback campaign.
Now that he’s in the race, he will first have to compete with former Army Capt. Brittany Ramos DeBarro in the Democratic primary before he can have another shot at beating Malliotakis.
Updated at 9:41 a.m.