TRENTON, New Jersey — Progressive Democrat Analilia Mejia won a special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District on Thursday, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway and retaining the seat for Democrats, election officials said.
Mejia, a former staffer for Sen. Bernie Sanders and head of the Working Families Alliance, secured about 59.6% of the vote to Hathaway’s roughly 40%, according to results reported by the Associated Press and state election authorities as of late Thursday. The contest filled the vacancy left when former Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, was elected governor of New Jersey.
The district, which includes parts of suburban North Jersey, has leaned Democratic in recent cycles but was once considered competitive. Mejia campaigned on progressive priorities including affordable housing, healthcare access and opposition to certain Trump administration policies. Hathaway, a former mayor of Randolph, emphasized public safety and fiscal responsibility.
Mejia said in a victory speech Thursday night: “This win is for every family fighting for a better future in New Jersey and across the country. We stood up to powerful interests and we won.”
Republicans had hoped to flip the seat and strengthen their narrow majority in the U.S. House ahead of the November midterms. Party officials described the result as disappointing in a district they viewed as winnable. The outcome keeps the seat in Democratic hands for the remainder of Sherrill’s unexpired term, which ends in January 2027.
The special election drew national attention as one of several early tests of voter sentiment in the Trump era. Progressives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Sanders, endorsed Mejia and campaigned on her behalf.
Turnout details remained limited early Friday, though local officials described participation as moderate for a special election. An independent candidate also appeared on the ballot but received minimal support.
As of Friday morning, Mejia was preparing to be sworn in to Congress in the coming days. The victory adds to a series of recent Democratic successes in special elections.
No immediate challenges to the results were reported. State and county officials said canvassing and certification would proceed in the coming weeks according to standard procedure.
Mejia will serve the balance of the term before facing voters again in the 2026 regular election cycle.
