DENVILLE, N.J. — A special congressional election taking place Thursday in northern New Jersey could impact the balance of power in the U.S. House, as Democrat Analilia Mejia faces off against Republican Joe Hathaway for the seat previously held by Mikie Sherrill, who won the governor’s race last year.
Mejia, who previously led the Working Families Alliance and has earned backing from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, won a competitive Democratic primary in February. Meanwhile, Hathaway, who serves on the Randolph town council, ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.
This race will determine party control of the seat as the nation looks ahead to the midterm elections during President Donald Trump’s second administration. The victor will complete Sherrill’s remaining term, and both candidates are positioned for a potential rematch in November.
Mejia has framed the election as a battle for democratic principles, condemning the president for pardoning those involved in the January 6 Capitol riots and halting congressionally approved funding.
“The people here are ready to do something about it,” she said recently. “We’re not here to write strongly worded letters. Congress has real power.”
Hathaway has targeted Mejia’s progressive background, with national GOP leaders labeling her a socialist.
“I’m running to bring common-sense leadership to D.C & deliver results for our families, not push a far-left agenda,” Hathaway said in a recent social media post.
The 11th Congressional District encompasses portions of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey’s affluent suburban areas. Once considered a reliable Republican territory, the district has shifted toward Democratic candidates since Trump’s initial presidency.
Sherrill captured the seat during the 2018 midterm wave, when Democrats gained dozens of House seats to regain congressional control. In 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by almost 9 percentage points.
Saran Cunningham, an 86-year-old former special education teacher, expressed initial hesitation about supporting Mejia due to concerns about her liberal positions. She supported a different candidate during the primary. However, speaking outside the Morristown early voting site, she indicated her intention to vote for Mejia.
“I think we’ve been tilting a little bit more to the right lately, which worries me,” Cunningham said. “I think that we need people in Congress who will fight for things that will help people as opposed to hurting them.”
Rob Berkowitz, 62, voted early for Hathaway at the Denville voting location. The self-described conservative praised Trump’s performance on immigration, economic issues and the conflict in Iran, drawing comparisons to Winston Churchill. He expressed disappointment with the Democratic Party’s departure from leaders like Harry Truman, whom he admired.
“They want borders wide open. They don’t want to enforce existing immigration laws,” Berkowitz said. “It’s an extraordinary thing to watch.”
The February Democratic primary featured Mejia competing against former Representative Tom Malinowski and other candidates in a contest where the American Israel Public Affairs Committee played a significant role. The organization’s connected super PAC attempted to undermine Malinowski after he questioned unconditional support for the Israeli government. This strategy seemed to backfire as Mejia, who stated her belief that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, secured victory.
Mejia ran on populist economic proposals and advocated for dismantling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She has maintained a consistent presence at the state Capitol, championing progressive initiatives, and served as Sanders’ political director during his 2020 presidential campaign. Under the Biden administration, she held the position of deputy director at the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau.
Beyond Sanders’ support, she received endorsements from U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
Hathaway, a former Yale University football player, has experience in healthcare and finance sectors, as well as political work as an assistant to former Republican Governor Chris Christie.
The election winner will serve through the term’s conclusion in January. Both Mejia and Hathaway are simultaneously campaigning for the subsequent two-year term beginning that same month.
