Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Democrat Analilia Mejia wins New Jersey special election for House seat
Analilia Mejia, a progressive Democrat, pulled off a decisive win against a Republican opponent to serve the remaining term of a vacant New Jersey House seat.
The seat, representing New Jersey's 11th congressional district, was left empty after former Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the 2025 gubernatorial election. Mejia will remain in the seat for the next eight months, but that doesn't mean it's the end of her campaign efforts. To run in the November 2026 midterm election and nab a full two-year term in the seat, the progressive New Jersey organizer will need to win the Democratic midterm primary in June.
The race was primarily between Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway, a councilmember of Randolph, New Jersey. Mejia was the frontrunner in the general special election, but faced a crowded and costly Democratic primary in February that saw millions in outside spending. Hathaway was unopposed in his primary.
Mejia's win further narrows House Republicans' tight majority in the U.S. House.
Attention on the race for the Garden State district, which spans parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, is especially high after a series of shakeups in Congress over the past week.
Mejia, former national political director of Senator Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign and longtime progressive organizer, is favored to win over her Republican challenger. She defeated former Rep. Tom Malinowski in the February Democratic primary, in a contentious race that saw significant outside spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Republican contender Hathaway is a Randolph Township Councilman and ran unopposed in the GOP primary.
topics: AIPAC, anililia mejia, mejia, new jersey, nj, nj-11, nj 11, election results, election, midterms, dan malinowski, malinowski, israel, progressive voice, the progressive voice
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Democrat Analilia Mejia wins New Jersey special election for House seat
Analilia Mejia, a progressive Democrat, pulled off a decisive win against a Republican opponent to serve the remaining term of a vacant New Jersey House seat.
The seat, representing New Jersey's 11th congressional district, was left empty after former Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the 2025 gubernatorial election. Mejia will remain in the seat for the next eight months, but that doesn't mean it's the end of her campaign efforts. To run in the November 2026 midterm election and nab a full two-year term in the seat, the progressive New Jersey organizer will need to win the Democratic midterm primary in June.
The race was primarily between Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway, a councilmember of Randolph, New Jersey. Mejia was the frontrunner in the general special election, but faced a crowded and costly Democratic primary in February that saw millions in outside spending. Hathaway was unopposed in his primary.
Mejia's win further narrows House Republicans' tight majority in the U.S. House.
Attention on the race for the Garden State district, which spans parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, is especially high after a series of shakeups in Congress over the past week.
Mejia, former national political director of Senator Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign and longtime progressive organizer, is favored to win over her Republican challenger. She defeated former Rep. Tom Malinowski in the February Democratic primary, in a contentious race that saw significant outside spending by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Republican contender Hathaway is a Randolph Township Councilman and ran unopposed in the GOP primary.
topics: AIPAC, anililia mejia, mejia, new jersey, nj, nj-11, nj 11, election results, election, midterms, dan malinowski, malinowski, israel, progressive voice, the progressive voice
Support The Show & Watch Exclusive Content: patreon.com/theprogressivevoice
Donate: paypal.me/theprogressivevoice
Listen to the audio podcast format on Itunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-progressive-voice/id1265065271?mt=2
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/Progressvoice
