Democratic activist Analilia Mejia won the primary election Tuesday in the race to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s vacant U.S. House seat.
11 candidates ran head to head in the primary, with two not appearing on the ballot. Mejia narrowly defeated former congressman, diplomat and visiting Seton Hall scholar Tom Malinowski by fewer than 1,000 votes.
Malinowski conceded Tuesday morning and voiced his support for Mejia in the April election in a statement posted to Instagram.
"I congratulate Analilia Mejia on her hard-won victory in the NJ-11 special primary,” Malinowski said. “I look forward to supporting her in the April general election. It is essential that we send a Democrat to Washington to fill this seat, not a rubber stamp for Trump.”
Mejia, a former union organizer, has worked to raise the minimum wage and advocated for paid sick leave. She previously worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and in the Department of Labor under former President Joe Biden.
Now, according to her campaign website, Mejia is looking to raise taxes on billionaires and corporations as well as update the transit system.
Mejia will face Republican candidate Joe Hathaway, the mayor of Randolph, in the general election on April 16.
Hathaway, a Clifton native, joined the Township Council of Randolph in 2022 and became mayor in 2025. His platform as mayor focused on infrastructure improvements, including affordable housing and roadway protection.
Seton Hall has campuses in Essex and Passaic counties, both of which are located within New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.
Polling locations can be found here.
Dominique Mercadante is the editor-in-chief of The Setonian. She can be reached at dominique.mercadante@student.shu.edu.
Kaelyn Blizard is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at kaelyn.blizard@student.shu.edu.
