U.S. House, New York 11th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in New York's 11th Congressional District?
Nicole Malliotakis has the strongest record in New York's 11th Congressional District. Nicole Malliotakis scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mike DeCillis at 56, as of October 9, 2026. Nicole Malliotakis's highest marks are relevant experience and coalition building. Mike DeCillis's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Mike DeCillis
56 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Nicole Malliotakis
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 75
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Mike DeCillis
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Nicole Malliotakis
- On the record2026-03-02
After a state judge ordered NY-11 redrawn, the U.S. Supreme Court paused the order 6 to 3 on her appeal; the state case was dismissed with prejudice on March 19, 2026.
Sources: PoliticsNY, March 3, 2026, Spectrum News NY1 and AP, March 19, 2026
- On the record2025
Voted for the 2025 discharge motion and passage of the Protect America's Workforce Act when Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise and Whip Emmer voted Nay.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 321, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 332, 2025
- On the record2025
Voted Nay on the 2025 Rescissions Act, which passed 214 to 212, when the three House Republican leaders voted Yea.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 168, 2025
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Yea on the Jan. 6, 2021 objections to the certified electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania, three days after taking office.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
- Credit2023
Ranked 91 of 436 House members on the Lugar Center Bipartisan Index for 2023, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores 2023
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Mike DeCillis. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00935742
Nicole Malliotakis. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 7, 2026; periodic transaction reports are on the Clerk index. No House Ethics Committee matter and no FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076820, House Committee on Ethics site search for Malliotakis, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00694778
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Mike DeCillis. No public record found.
Nicole Malliotakis. Voted against all three House Republican leaders on the 2025 Rescissions Act, the 2025 discharge motion and passage of the Protect America's Workforce Act, and 2026 passage of a bill to designate Haiti for temporary protected status.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 168, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 321, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 332, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 120, 2026
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Mike DeCillis. No public record found.
Nicole Malliotakis. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Mike DeCillis. Worked a decade as an NYPD officer and served as chief of staff and director of legislation in the State Assembly. No conduct finding found.
Source: EMS1, July 29, 2021
Nicole Malliotakis. Served in the State Assembly from 2011 to 2020 and in the U.S. House since 2021. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee matter found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Nicole Malliotakis, House Committee on Ethics site search for Malliotakis
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Mike DeCillis. Served a decade as a sworn NYPD officer. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: EMS1, July 29, 2021, Fox News, June 23, 2026
Nicole Malliotakis. Voted Yea on both Jan. 6, 2021 objections to the certified electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania (E2).
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Mike DeCillis. Former paramedic and 9/11 responder, NYPD officer for a decade, civil litigation attorney, Assembly chief of staff and director of legislation, and special education teacher. Has not held elected office.
Sources: EMS1, July 29, 2021, Campaign site, About
Nicole Malliotakis. In the U.S. House since January 2021, seeking a fourth term, after 10 years in the State Assembly (Districts 60 and 64).
Sources: Ballotpedia, Nicole Malliotakis, GovTrack, Nicole Malliotakis
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Mike DeCillis. Campaign site lists priorities on democracy, affordability and education in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, home page
Nicole Malliotakis. Sits on the Ways and Means Committee (Oversight and Tax subcommittees) and the Joint Economic Committee.
Source: GovTrack, committee membership
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Mike DeCillis. Publishes priority pages and gave a televised interview on NY1's Inside City Hall in September 2026. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, home page, Spectrum News NY1, Sept. 28, 2026, Ballotpedia, Michael DeCillis
Nicole Malliotakis. Offers an e-newsletter and publishes issue pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Nicole Malliotakis
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Mike DeCillis. A Staten Island native who lives in Bay Ridge, a Brooklyn neighborhood in the 11th District. FEC by-state totals show about 83 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: EMS1, July 29, 2021, Wikipedia, New York 11th congressional district, FEC contribution totals by state
Nicole Malliotakis. Has represented Staten Island and southern Brooklyn in the Assembly and Congress since 2011. FEC by-state totals show about 48 percent of itemized individual contributions from New York.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Nicole Malliotakis, GovTrack, Nicole Malliotakis, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Mike DeCillis. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00935742
Nicole Malliotakis. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, committee C00694778
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Mike DeCillis. No public record found.
Nicole Malliotakis. Legislative Effectiveness Score 2.0 of 1.197 against a benchmark of 1.194 in the 118th Congress, meets expectations. GovTrack lists no enacted bill she sponsored.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Mike DeCillis. No public record found.
Nicole Malliotakis. Missed 44 of 2,915 roll call votes, 1.5 percent, from January 2021 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Mike DeCillis. No public record found.
Nicole Malliotakis. Runs district offices on Staten Island and in Brooklyn; says her office closed nearly 3,400 constituent cases last year and has returned more than $65 million to constituents since 2021.
Sources: Office site, home page, PoliticsNY Q&A, Feb. 2, 2026
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Mike DeCillis. No public record found.
Nicole Malliotakis. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of 0.18435 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 91 of 436, in the top quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores 2023
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Mike DeCillis. No public record found.
Nicole Malliotakis. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in New York's 11th Congressional District?
Nicole Malliotakis has the strongest record in New York's 11th Congressional District. Nicole Malliotakis scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Mike DeCillis at 56, as of October 9, 2026. Nicole Malliotakis's highest marks are relevant experience and coalition building. Mike DeCillis's highest marks are roots in the constituency. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in New York's 11th Congressional District in 2026?
Mike DeCillis (Democratic), Nicole Malliotakis (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Mike DeCillis a good candidate for Congress?
Mike DeCillis scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Nicole Malliotakis a good candidate for Congress?
Nicole Malliotakis scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every New York race scored, and the New York 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.