STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Becoming the fourth elected official on Staten Island to do so, Rep. Daniel Donovan endorsed Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis for mayor on Tuesday.
He follows Borough President James Oddo, Assemblyman Ron Castorina Jr., who is also the Staten Island GOP chairman, and Councilman Steven Matteo.
The Republican Donovan said in a statement, "I'm proud to endorse Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis for mayor. As our friend and neighbor, Nicole deeply understands the issues that matter to our community and she has a proven track record of fighting for them. Whether it's her work to make government more efficient and accountable, her strong support of the NYPD, or her ongoing efforts helping residents rebuild after Superstorm Sandy, Nicole is the kind of common sense leader we desperately need in City Hall."
The congressman and assemblywoman once vied for the same office, when the party picked Donovan, then the DA, to run in a special election for Congress in May 2015.
Unhappy with the closed nominating process for special elections, Malliotakis said she would like to see that process opened up, and indicated an interest in a possible future run.
"Congressman Dan Donovan has dedicated his career to making our community a safer and better place to live," Malliotakis said in a statement. "I am proud and honored to be endorsed by someone who has always puts his constituents before politics. As mayor we will work together to ensure New York City gets the resources it needs from Washington to improve infrastructure, transportation, education, healthcare and more."
She told the Advance on Monday that if she's elected mayor, she would have a good partner in Donovan to "make a good case" for New York City's needs in Washington.
Malliotakis has the Conservative Party line in the November mayoral race, while fellow Republican Paul Massey has the Independence Party line.
They will face off in a GOP primary in September.
Democrat Sal Albanese has the Reform Party line and will face Mayor Bill de Blasio in a September Democratic primary.