Bernie Sanders–backed progressive Analilia Mejia clinches upset win in New Jersey House primary
Analilia Mejia, a progressive organizer and former national political director for Bernie Sanders, has won the Democratic special primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, capping a tight, weeklong count and setting up an April 16 showdown for the seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
A late-breaking call after a razor-thin count
The race was called Thursday evening ET, a week after voters cast ballots in the February 5 primary. Mejia led by roughly 1,100 votes when the final call came, locking in a narrow but steady advantage that grew as mail ballots postmarked by Election Day were added to county totals in Morris, Essex, and Passaic. Her closest rival, former two-term House member Tom Malinowski, had already conceded on Tuesday ET, congratulating Mejia on what he called a “hard-won victory.”
Progressive backing and a late entry prove decisive
Mejia entered the race late and was outspent by several of the 11 other Democrats on the ballot, including two aligned with local party leaders. Her campaign leaned on a grassroots profile and a slate of progressive endorsements, anchored by Sanders and joined by prominent liberals in Congress. Mejia previously co-founded and co-led a national progressive advocacy network focused on economic and racial justice, and she served in the Department of Labor.
She ran on universal health care and child care, free public college, and canceling student loan debt—an agenda she framed as responsive to voters frustrated with the status quo. On Tuesday ET, Mejia said a win by a “lefty” in an affluent suburban district might look like an anomaly, but argued it reflected a broader appetite for change. “A ZIP code does not protect us from rising violent authoritarianism,” she said.
Negative ads, outside money, and the Malinowski factor
The sprint-like, two-month special primary was awash in outside spending and attack ads. A super PAC linked to a pro-Israel lobbying group poured millions into the contest, with more than $2 million spent on ads targeting Malinowski over his openness to conditioning U.S. aid to Israel. In total, outside groups invested upwards of $4 million in the race.
Malinowski, who previously enjoyed support from pro-Israel donors and describes himself as pro-Israel, said the barrage of late ads left voters confused about his record. “I met several voters in the final days of the campaign who had seen the ads and asked me, sincerely: ‘Are you MAGA? Are you for ICE?’” he said. He endorsed Mejia after conceding but warned that a flood of dark money poses a broader risk to democratic politics.
Why the outcome matters inside the Democratic Party
Mejia’s win is being read as an early bellwether for how Democratic primary voters are weighing candidates’ stances on Israel and the war in Gaza. Malinowski urged guardrails on aid but stopped short of breaking with long-standing U.S. support; Mejia was the most critical candidate in the field, at one point describing the war as genocide. The result suggests the party’s base, at least in this district, is more receptive to outspoken progressive critiques than some strategists anticipated.
The verdict also underscores the enduring muscle of left-leaning endorsements. Bernie Sanders’ imprimatur remains potent among grassroots activists and small-dollar donors, particularly in crowded primaries where name recognition and field operations can make or break late entrants.
District dynamics and the April 16 special
Mejia will face Joe Hathaway, the mayor of Randolph, in the April 16 special election to complete the final eight months of Sherrill’s term. Hathaway has styled himself a centrist “workhorse” and spotlighted infrastructure priorities important to New York City commuters, including the long-delayed Gateway rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River.
While the district was historically competitive, redistricting after the 2020 census tilted it more Democratic. Sherrill won reelection in 2024 with roughly 56 percent of the vote, and the Democratic presidential nominee carried the district with 53 percent. Even so, the compressed timeline and the high-profile, issues-driven debate could keep the special election fluid, with a broader rematch looming in November for the full two-year term.
The bottom line
By edging out a well-known former congressman under a storm of outside spending, Analilia Mejia gave progressives their clearest early-season win and demonstrated that endorsements from figures like Bernie Sanders still move votes. Her challenge now shifts from navigating a fractious Democratic field to translating a narrow primary edge into a governing mandate in a district that leans her way—but remains attentive to pragmatism, infrastructure, and pocketbook concerns.
