Nicole Malliotakis, a Staten Island native who spent a decade in the New York State Assembly, has positioned herself as a Republican rebel in a city controlled by Democrats. Malliotakis gained recognition in 2017 as the long-shot Republican nominee for New York mayor against incumbent Bill de Blasio. She received a communications degree and worked in the community affairs office of Gov. George Pataki (R) before earning a master’s in businesses administration from Wagner College. She was a public affairs manager for the energy company Consolidated Edison Inc.