Summary
Democrat Analilia Mejia won the special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, filling the seat left by Governor Mikie Sherrill. She will serve the rest of the term, which ends in January, and her victory reflects the district’s shift toward the Democratic Party.
Key Facts
- Analilia Mejia won the special election against Republican Joe Hathaway and independent Alan Bond.
- The district covers parts of Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties in New Jersey.
- This seat was traditionally held by Republicans but has become more Democratic since President Trump’s first term.
- Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district by over 60,000 voters.
- Mejia is a progressive and former head of the Working Families Alliance.
- She worked as political director for Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and is endorsed by him, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
- Mejia supports policies like taxing billionaires, raising wages, universal child care, and health care, and aims to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- Republicans labeled Mejia a socialist during the campaign, a claim she denied and criticized as untrue.
