Early voting is underway in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, where Democratic candidate Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway are competing in an April 16 special election for the House seat left vacant by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. The winner will serve the remainder of Sherrill’s term through January 2027. The district, which spans parts of Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties, has been a battleground, with Republicans holding it for over two decades before Sherrill flipped it in 2018 as a centrist Democrat.
Key Issues in the Race
The candidates debated affordability, health care, and foreign policy. Mejia, backed by progressive figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, supports a single-payer health care system, calling it a "human right." Hathaway opposes government-controlled health care, arguing it would raise spending and reduce access. On Israel, Mejia criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a "war criminal," while Hathaway accused her of "anti-Semitic" rhetoric and opposed conditions on U.S. aid to Israel. Both candidates support restoring federal funding for the Gateway Program, which manages the Hudson Tunnel Project.
National Implications
The race is seen as a test of whether a progressive can hold a moderate suburban district. Meanwhile, other high-stakes elections this month include a Georgia special election and a Virginia redistricting referendum, with the House majority on the line. Republicans currently hold a 218–214 majority in the House, making every seat critical.