Analilia Mejia, a Democrat and former leader of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, won the special election on April 17 for the 11th District Congressional seat in New Jersey. The seat was left vacant after Governor Mikie Sherrill resigned from Congress following her gubernatorial victory last November.
Mejia defeated Republican Joe Hathway, a Randolph councilman and former mayor, by a margin of 59.5% to 40%, according to the Associated Press. The term will expire in January. The district covers parts of Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties and has shifted from being a longtime Republican stronghold to leaning Democratic over the past decade.
Mejia emerged as the Democratic nominee after competing against ten other candidates in a crowded primary that included former Representative Tom Malinowski and former Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way. She framed her campaign as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s leadership and focused on progressive economic and social policies.
As head of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, Mejia led campaigns supporting measures such as raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour and paid sick leave. She later served as national political director for Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign before joining President Joe Biden’s Department of Labor. In addition to support from Sanders, she received endorsements from Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Sanders congratulated Mejia Thursday night in a social media post: “Analilia will be a great progressive addition to the House in the fight for economic, racial, social and environmental justice.”
Both Mejia and Hathaway are expected to compete again in November when voters choose who will serve a full two-year congressional term beginning January 2027. Primaries for both parties are scheduled for June.
