CBS News projects Democrat Analilia Mejia as the winner of the special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, filling the seat Gov. Mikie Sherrill vacated. Mejia defeated Republican Joe Hathaway and independent Alan Bond and will serve the remainder of Sherrill’s term, which ends in January. The district covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties.
Once a Republican-leaning area, the district has shifted toward Democrats since President Donald Trump’s first term; voter rolls show Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 60,000. Turnout in the special election was low, a factor Hathaway said was the result of the calendar and procedures set by a Democratic governor and that likely advantaged one party. He congratulated Mejia while calling the contest “unique and, frankly, unusual.”
Mejia appeared in Montclair after the projection to thank supporters. Demonstrators chanted and celebrated her victory, and she said the campaign overcame long odds to win. She criticized Hathaway for using personal attacks during the race, saying he repeatedly belittled her and labeled her ideas radical; Mejia argued that advocating stronger health protections and economic reforms is not extreme.
A progressive organizer and former leader of the Working Families Alliance, Mejia emerged from a crowded February Democratic primary with a narrow lead. She served as political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and is backed by Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Mejia’s platform emphasizes populist economic measures and major changes to immigration enforcement. Her agenda includes taxing billionaires, raising wages, creating universal child care and health care, and making SALT deductions permanent for homeowners. She has also highlighted housing affordability concerns for renters and criticized private equity’s role in the rental market. On immigration, she has called for abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Republican advertisements labeled her a socialist; Mejia dismissed those claims as partisan attacks, saying her long service as a Democratic county committeewoman and her organizing background reflect pragmatic policy goals rather than mischaracterizations. She will need to run again in November to seek a full two-year term in Congress.