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Progressive activist Analilia Mejia continues to hold a narrow lead over former Rep. Tom Malinowski in the crowded Democratic primary race to succeed Gov. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District.
As of Sunday, Mejia led Malinowski by approximately 500 votes out of more than 61,000 ballots counted, according to the New Jersey Monitor. With an estimated 6,000 mail-in and provisional ballots still to be tallied, the race remains too close to call.
Mejia's strong showing has surprised many political observers who expected Malinowski, who previously represented the neighboring 7th District for two terms until 2022, to have the advantage in the 11-person field.
"I do think that we have emerged victorious, but I want to first make sure that every voter's voice is heard," Mejia told reporters on Friday. "I'm already thinking about how do we consolidate so that we can tackle the bigger issue."
The Malinowski campaign remains optimistic. "Given the volume of votes still to be reported and the way mail-in ballots have broken throughout this race, we remain confident heading into the continued count," said campaign manager Kaylie Haberstroh in a statement.
Mejia, who campaigned as the progressive candidate, secured endorsements from prominent national figures including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She performed particularly well in Essex County and showed unexpected strength in Morris County, which had been expected to favor Malinowski.
Malinowski faced significant opposition spending, with the United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, investing $2.3 million in ads against him. The group opposed Malinowski because he reportedly expressed openness to conditions on aid to Israel.
Former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way finished third with about 17.4% of the vote, followed by Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill with 14.2%.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Joe Hathaway, mayor of Randolph Township, in a special general election on April 16. That election will determine who serves the remainder of Sherrill's unexpired congressional term, which ends January 3, 2027.
The 11th District, which was redrawn in 2021 to favor Democrats, had been a Republican stronghold for more than three decades before Sherrill flipped it during the same Democratic wave that elected Malinowski. Sherrill won reelection in 2024 by 15 points before resigning to become governor.
Whoever ultimately prevails in this special election will need to quickly pivot to the June primary to secure the nomination for a full term beginning in 2027.
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