Analilia Mejia on Thursday easily won the special election to complete the 11th District congressional term of fellow Democrat Mikie Sherrill, who had resigned to become New Jersey governor.
The Associated Press called the race at 8:07 p.m., seven minutes after polls closed. Later, with about 94% of the vote counted, Mejia had about 60%, 20 points more than Republican Joe Hathaway, a Randolph councilman. Independent Alan Bond also ran.
The crowd cheered loudly at Mejia’s victory party at the Montclair Art Museum when she spoke at 9 p.m., promising to work every day for the people of the district.
“Everyone that knows me, knows I’m a fighter,” a brash Mejia told the crowd. “I did not come to play, my friends. I came to fight for what is right. It is not about left or right. It is about right and wrong.”
Hathaway congratulated Mejia in a statement, saying, “We fought a spirited campaign, and I’m proud of the race we ran. From the very beginning, our campaign focused on bringing people together around a simple idea: that our district deserves common sense, practical leadership that puts families first, not a political party, not a president, and certainly not a squad.”
The term that Mejia will serve in the House of Representatives expires on Jan. 3. The winner of the November general election then will start a two-year term. In the June primary for that November race, Hathaway is unopposed and Mejia has three challengers, though she is the party-endorsed Democrat.
Filling this seat is crucial, as party control of the House is so close. The GOP holds a five-vote majority.
“We’re at a critical moment in the House,” said Dan Cassino, a Fairleigh Dickinson University professor of government and politics and executive director of the FDU Poll. “Republicans have a single-digit margin and a fractious coalition. At the same time, they know they’re almost certain to lose control of the House in November’s midterms, so this is their last chance to pass anything. There’s going to be immense pressure to pass bills that Trump can sign, and one vote in the House could certainly make a difference on those votes.”
Mejia raised about $1.1 million, roughly double what Hathaway raised. Her campaign and outside spending groups supporting her outspent Hathaway almost 3-1.
The two participated in just one debate, which was lively and at times devolved into name-calling. Mejia said Hathaway voted for President Donald Trump three times, and Hathaway called Mejia a “radical Socialist” backed by “The Squad” of four progressive congresswomen.
Mejia’s positions on U.S. support for Israel and the war in Gaza sparked fireworks. Hathaway accused her of being an antisemite. She said he misrepresented her positions and opposes antisemitism but criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of international war crimes. Late in the campaign, Mejia won the endorsement of J Street PAC, a liberal, pro-Israel group.
Mejia is co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, a nonprofit progressive advocacy group. She was the national political director for the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and later served in the U.S. Department of Labor under President Joe Biden.
