Passaic County Democrats will support Analilia Mejia for a full term in Congress, the party announced yesterday following a screening committee meeting – and former Lieutenant Gov. Tahesha Way, a Passaic Democrat considering running against Mejia in the June primary, didn’t screen for the endorsement at all.
Mejia, a progressive activist on her first run for elected office, won the February 5 special Democratic primary to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill in something of an upset, defeating Way and several other well-known candidates. She’ll be going up against GOP nominee Joe Hathaway on April 16 in the Democratic-leaning 11th district.
During the special primary, Passaic Democrats jointly endorsed Way and County Commissioner John Bartlett (D-Wayne), the other Passaic candidate in the race. But Mejia ended up winning the small Passaic County portion of the 11th district by a four-vote margin over Way, 24.7% to 24.6%, with Bartlett far back in fifth place (13.1%).
The fact that Passaic Democrats have flipped to supporting Mejia in the regularly scheduled June primary is foreboding news for Way or anyone else who hopes to take Mejia on. The New Jersey Globe reported last week that Way is actively looking at another campaign, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has hinted that it may seek to get involved in an anti-Mejia effort, but rapid Democratic consolidation behind Mejia will make that more difficult.
Essex County Democratic Chair LeRoy Jones has endorsed Mejia for a full term, which should make her the favorite for official Essex party support, while Morris Democrats will hold their convention on March 22. Party support matters far less than it once did thanks to the demise of the county line, but if Mejia does indeed have every party endorsement heading into the June 2 primary (when she will most likely already be an incumbent), she’d be tough to beat.
Also earning the Passaic Democratic endorsement yesterday were Senator Cory Booker, Reps. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) and Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly), County Surrogate Zoila Cassanova, and County Commissioner Orlando Cruz (D-Paterson). None faced any competition at the screening committee.
For the open seat left behind by retiring 75-year-old Commissioner Bruce James (D-Clifton), Passaic Democrats will support Nick Veliky, the president of the Clifton Democratic Club. CAIR-NJ senior advisor Ali Aljarrah is also running for commissioner this year, but he said in a letter to Passaic Democratic municipal chairs that he would not compete in what he said wasn’t a “genuinely democratic” endorsement process.
Aljarrah was asked to sign a pledge that he would drop out of the race if he did not get party support, a stipulation he did not want to agree to; it’s possible that candidates interested in running for other offices were similarly deterred from seeking support by the same pledge.
Rather than hold full county conventions, Passaic Democrats issue endorsements following a candidate screening conducted by the county’s municipal Democratic leaders, and County Democratic Chair John Currie’s preferred choices almost always prevail. Currie said that yesterday’s screening committee process resulted in the selection of “the most qualified and dedicated individuals to represent the diverse communities of Passaic County.”
“Our municipal leaders, representing Democratic organizations across all 16 municipalities and selected from elected County Committee members from every voting district, interviewed candidates who responded to our open call for candidates,” Currie said. “This process ensures transparency, fairness, and the selection of candidates who are prepared to lead and serve.”
