Ex-cop and 9/11 first responder secures Dem nod in bid to unseat firebrand conservative

Michael DeCillis, a former EMT, police officer and special education teacher, left, pictured alongside Rep.Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., right.(DeCillis for Congress;Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“He understands that our democracy is disappearing in real time,” DeCillis’campaign website reads.

“In the next Congress, Mike will fight to build guardrails to protect our rights and ensure the government serves everyone — not just billionaires.”

Throughout his campaign, DeCillis has touted his diverse background in public service and deep ties to the community in New York, pointing out that he is a fourth-generation Staten Islander and a third-generationunion member.

“I’ve worked in EMS as a paramedic for over a decade, was a 9/11 first responder, helping firefighters atGround Zero,I’ve walked the streets of New York City as a police officer and taught as a special education teacher in our public schools,” DeCillis said ina campaign video.

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DeCillis has run for the seat twice before — once in 2018 and in 2022.In both races, he dropped out before thegeneral election.

Now in his third challenge, DeCillis is painting Malliotakis as a MAGA-aligned Republican, out of touch with the splitvoter demographicin the state, and calling her a “MAGA loyalist.”

“President Trump and Republicans like Nicole Malliotakis are destroying democracy at home and diplomacy and security abroad,” DeCillis said ina post to X.

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Rep.Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said Democrats should have to explain why they want transgender exhibits in the forthcoming Smithsonian women’s history museum.(Allison Bailey/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

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Malliotakis last won reelection in 2024 with a 63.8% to 35.8% victory over Democratic challenger Andrea Morse, an attorney andsmall-business owner.

Having cleared the primary, DeCillis will face off against Malliotakis in theNov.3 general election.

He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.