Gloves come off between Rep. Nicole Malliotakis and challenger Max Rose on “The Point with Marcia Kramer”

NEW YORK — A rematch between Rep. Nicole Malliotakis and Max Rose in New York’s 11th Congressional District is shaping up to be one of the most competitive races of the election season. Malliotakis, the Republican incumbent, unseated Rose, a Democrat, two years ago to represent voters in Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn.

 Friday, the gloves came off when the appeared together on “The Point with Marcia Kramer. ” It got heated and it got intense, especially when they fought about bail laws, crime and gun laws, all key concerns in the district.  “We need to have a balance.

The pendulum has swung too far to the left. We need to restore the balance so we have commonsense policies to keep New Yorkers safe,” said Malliotakis.  “These are a series of lies that Nicole has pushed against me,” said Rose, “It’s one of the reasons why .

. . “”What’s a lie? What’s a lie?” Malliotakis said.

 “I didn’t interrupt you. Please, please,” Rose said. “I’m the only person in this race who has ever put on a uniform.

I served in combat in Afghanistan. Under no circumstances would I ever stand by this lie that somehow I have supported unfair policies that push criminals onto the street. ” And so it went as Malliotakis and Rose debated bail reform, one of the hot-button issues in the contest.

The two debated criminal justice, abortion, the economy and immigration.  “The critical issue here is speeding up asylum cases as well as addressing the core roots of why we’re seeing this refugee crisis in the first place. There’s nothing wrong with seeing regional refugee resettlement,” said Rose.

 “The Right to Shelter law does not provide that New York City has to provide shelter to citizens of other countries. We have tens of thousands of homeless ourselves, and right now during the struggling economy, it’s certainly this burden that’s placed on people trying to keep roofs over their own heads,” said Malliotakis.  A recent Siena College poll had Malliotakis with 49 percent, Rose with 43 percent, and a margin of error of 5.

2.  Kramer asked the candidates what should be done about the nation’s border policies. Malliotakis repeatedly insisted there has to be order at the border.

 “The mayor has declared a state of emergency, but he has not called on the president to secure the borders and reinstate the policies of President Trump, remain in Mexico. That was working, and you have not either,” said Malliotakis.  “This has to be looked at as a bipartisan failure over the course of four administrations, where we have not had expanded legal immigration as well as stronger borders.

Common sense appears not to be common in Washington, D. C. ,” Rose said.

 There were numerous “I want to punch your lights out” clashes between the two, including whether Max Rose’s abortion commercial was fair to Malliotakis and whether Rose did participate in a “defund the cops” demonstration. Plus, during a segment you’ll see only on CBS News New York, Malliotakis accused Rose of “mansplaining” her position on abortion.  “The Point with Marcia Kramer” airs every Sunday at 11:30 a.

m. on CBS2, right after “Face the Nation. ” Then, watch the extended interview, “Exclamation Point,” at noon on CBS News New York.

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