Bay Ridge

GOP names Malliotakis Assembly minority whip

December 29, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis was described by Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb as “a dynamic force for our conference.” Photo courtesy of Malliotakis’ office
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Republican Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis, who was trounced by Democratic incumbent Bill de Blasio in the mayoral election on Nov. 7, has been welcomed back with open arms by her GOP Assembly colleagues who named her to a key leadership position.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb tapped Malliotakis to serve as whip of the Assembly’s Republican conference.

A whip in a legislative body is a combination vote counter/enforcer whose job it is to talk and cajole members of their party to back legislation favored by party leaders in the chamber. The whip also keeps an up-to-date count of who plans to vote in favor of a piece of legislation as the vote draws near.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to serve on our conference’s leadership team. I thank Leader Brian Kolb and my fellow Republicans for their confidence in me,” Malliotakis (R-C-Bay Ridge-Staten Island) said in a statement. 

The New York State Assembly is dominated by Democrats, who hold the vast majority of seats in the chamber, a fact that Malliotakis noted in her statement.

“With Republicans so heavily outnumbered in the chamber, we fight tooth-and-nail to have our voices heard and stop bad policy from becoming law. We may be fewer in number, but work hard to ensure that New Yorkers who share our principles of less taxes and more fiscal discipline are adequately represented,” she stated.  

Kolb was full of praise for his party’s new whip. “Nicole has been a dynamic force for our conference and a tireless advocate for the residents of the 64th Assembly District.  She has always represented her constituents with selfless dedication, hard work and intelligence.  I congratulate Nicole on this well-deserved promotion and look forward to working with her to advance our conference’s priority issues in 2018,” he stated. 

Malliotakis was first elected to the assembly in 2010. She is the ranking members of Governmental Employees Committee and is a member of the Ways & Means, Banks, Election Law, Corporations, Authorities & Commissions, and Transportation Committees.

She boldly decided to wage a long-shot bid to become New York City’s first female mayor in 2017. Her campaign created a great deal of excitement in Bay Ridge and on Staten Island, the two areas she represents in the Assembly. But the campaign never caught fire citywide and she was defeated by de Blasio who was running for his second term in office.

The incumbent mayor garnered more than 65 percent of the vote in the election.

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