MORRIS COUNTY — Democrat Analilia Mejia secured a decisive victory over Republican Joe Hathaway in Thursday’s special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.
Mejia will fill the seat vacated by Mikie Sherrill, who was elected governor in November, and will serve in Congress through January 3, 2027. The seat will again be on the ballot in the general election scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.
With her victory, Mejia becomes the first Latina to represent the 11th Congressional District and only the second Latina to represent New Jersey in Washington, D.C.
Both Mejia and Hathaway are expected to face off again in November for a full two-year term beginning in January. Ahead of that, Mejia will compete in the Democratic primary in June against Donald Cresitello, Joseph Lewis, and Justin Strickland. Hathaway is running unopposed on the Republican side.
New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, which includes portions of Morris, Essex, and Passaic counties, was once a Republican stronghold before Sherrill flipped it for Democrats in 2018. Since then, district boundaries have been redrawn, making it more challenging for Republicans to regain the seat.
According to unofficial results for Morris County, Mejia received 38,587 votes (53.59%), while Hathaway earned 33,028 votes (45.87%). Third-party candidate Alan B. Bond received 278 votes (0.39%), with 106 write-in votes (0.15%) recorded.
A total of 71,999 votes were counted in the contest.
Voter Turnout
Voter participation in the special election was relatively low:
- Ballots Cast: 72,175
- Registered Voters: 294,708
- Turnout: 24.49%
Morris County Republican Chairwoman Laura Ali refused to comment on Thursday’s results.
The outcome is seen as an early indicator of voter sentiment heading into the fall midterm elections.
