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Special Election Held in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District

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Special Election Held for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District

A special election was held on Thursday, April 16, in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by former Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill, who resigned after being elected governor in November 2024. The major party candidates were Democrat Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway. The outcome will determine who serves the remainder of Sherrill’s term, which concludes in January 2027.

Election Details and Process

  • The election took place on Thursday, April 16. Polls closed at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
  • Any registered voter in the 11th Congressional District was eligible to participate.
  • As of Tuesday, April 15, approximately 58,000 votes had been cast early. This included about 36,000 from registered Democrats, about 15,000 from registered Republicans, and nearly 8,000 from unaffiliated voters.
  • New Jersey counties typically release results from early and absentee voting in their first update on election night.

The Associated Press states it will declare a winner when it determines no scenario exists for a trailing candidate to close the gap. It may call a race subject to a recount if it determines the lead is too large to be changed.

  • New Jersey does not have automatic recounts. Candidates or voters may request and pay for a recount, with costs refunded if the outcome changes.

The Candidates

Analilia Mejia (Democrat)

  • A former Labor Department official and progressive organizer.
  • Won the Democratic special primary election on February 5 against a field of ten other candidates, including former U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski and former New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way.
  • Received endorsements from U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
  • As of March 27, her campaign had raised about $1.1 million and had approximately $374,000 on hand.

Joe Hathaway (Republican)

  • A member of the Randolph Township Council.
  • Ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.
  • As of March 27, his campaign had raised about $525,000 and had approximately $109,000 on hand.

Campaign Context and Key Issues

The war in Gaza and U.S. support for Israel were cited as major issues in the campaign.

  • During a primary forum, Analilia Mejia stated she believes Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal.
  • Joe Hathaway has stated the U.S. should stand "in lockstep" with Israel and opposes placing conditions on aid.
  • In the Democratic primary, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) spent more than $2.3 million on advertisements opposing former Representative Tom Malinowski, who had questioned providing unconditional aid to Israel.

District Profile

  • The 11th Congressional District is considered Democratic-leaning. In the 2024 general election, then-Representative Mikie Sherrill won re-election with about 57% of the vote. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried the district with 53% of the vote.
  • The district covers parts of Morris, Essex, and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey. More than half of its precincts are in Morris County.
    • In the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris won the Essex County portion of the district with 64% of the vote.
    • Former President Donald Trump narrowly won the Morris County portion by about one percentage point.
    • Donald Trump carried the Passaic County portion with about 57% of the vote.
  • As of April 1, there were approximately 603,000 registered voters in the district: about 230,000 Democrats, about 165,000 Republicans, and about 204,000 unaffiliated.

Primary Election Background

The Democratic primary on February 5 was closely contested. Initial results showed Tom Malinowski leading, but Analilia Mejia gained a narrow advantage as more votes were counted. Malinowski conceded the race five days after the election. Mejia secured 29.1% of the primary vote to Malinowski's 27.7%.

The primary occurred amid shifts in New Jersey's Democratic Party organization. Mejia did not receive endorsements from the major county Democratic parties in the district, which instead backed other candidates.

Her victory followed a recent federal court ruling that found New Jersey's longstanding "county line" ballot design system violated the integrity of the democratic process.

Significance of the Outcome

  • A Democratic victory would narrow the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  • The winner of the special election will serve until the seat is up for election again in the regular 2026 midterm cycle. Separate regular primary and general elections for the next full term will be held in June and November of 2025.