With Mikie Sherrill resigning her Congressional seat to become Governor of New Jersey, South Orange and Maplewood will help decide the race for the next Congressperson to represent NJ-11. Special Election Day is Thursday, April 16, but the Essex County Clerk begins mailing sample ballots for Special General Election on April 1, and Early Voting for the Special General Election begins on April 6 and runs through April 14. Read more election coverage here.
Analilia Mejia stunned the political establishment on Feb 5, defeating former Rep. Tom Malinowski in the primary and becoming the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional seat. Mejia, a progressive grassroots organizer, raised her political profile and transformed what had been viewed as a predictable contest into one of the most closely watched Congressional races in the nation.
Since her primary win, Mejia says she is putting all of her focus on reconnecting with voters and expanding the outreach with people who are not familiar with her. In a recent post-primary interview Mejia said she will continue to focus on affordability, economic inequality, medicaid and infrastructure the highlight of her political campaign. Lower and middle class families are at the center of it all.
Mejia’s populist appeal, one that centers her campaign on the working class and economic fairness, appears to have contributed to her political rise. By focusing her campaign on the everyday challenges working class families face, Mejia says she has worked to build a base of voters who are dissatisfied with the current system.
After mobilizing across the district and speaking to communities, Mejia said voters are raising concerns about the cost of living. This has been one of the biggest key takeaways Mejia has recognized during the duration of her campaign.
“What I’ve learned in these last three or so weeks and engaging people across the district is that affordability is really top of mind,” said Mejia in a recent interview with The Village Green.
Analilia Mejia at #NoKings March 28 rally in Maplewood. Photo by Max Fraidstern.
In the primary election, Mejia won South Orange and Maplewood gaining over 3,100 votes among the two towns out of 11,158 votes.
A surge of grassroots campaigning and community organizing across South Orange and Maplewood played a central role in Mejia’s success in the primary. SOMA was critical, she said, pointing out local activism as a key drive for Mejia’s success.
“…The number of engaged people because of organizations like SOMA Action, the number of volunteers that came out of the community, because we were able to connect on different issues,” said Mejia. “It was so impactful, for example, to participate in a town vigil during the primary. In terms of connecting me with voters, in terms of a source of volunteers, a source of an educated electorate, South Orange-Maplewood most certainly shines, and I’m glad to have the support of this community.”
As national and international politics continues to unfold and tensions heighten, voters have grown concerned with the state of the government. Through conversations with voters, Mejia has learned this is also one of the key issues they’ve expressed to her. She is making this dissatisfaction one of the centers of her political campaign.
“Now with additional concerns happening globally, concerns about national security and concerns about our democracy and the integrity of our government are increasingly top of mind, and I’m trying to get ready so that I can be the best representative for the people, for the voters of New Jersey’s 11th congressional district,” Mejia continued.
Beyond the affordability and economic problems voters face, Meja is focusing her campaign on challenging what she sees as a system where the wealthy dominate politics. Mejia hopes to be the change in establishment within, hyperfocusing on limiting the influence big money has on politics. She is advocating for legislation that does just that.
Mejia at a campaign event at DeHart Community Center in Maplewood on March 14. Photo by Mary Barr Mann.
“I believe we need to push out the power of big money in politics, ban stock trading in Congress,” said Mejia. “We have to fight for tax fairness so that we could then afford things like universal health care and universal child care and investing in fixing our transit system.”
Mejia has pledged to reject donations from corporate PACs and lobbyists, who she views as having too much influence in politics.
“My stance continues to be that what matters most are the voices of the people, and we should push out big money out of politics and big spends in elections with campaign finance reform and rejecting the contributions from those [types] of corporate Super PACs and lobbyists, because that’s how we restore democracy,” said Mejia.
Mejia has been involved in politics for years, previously serving as the national political director for Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign. This role gave her a taste of the realities of what running a political campaign is like.
Endorsements and backings by prominent political figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Gov. Mike Sherrill, Sen. Corey Booker has contributed to Mejia’s rise in politics, she acknowledged. South Orange Village Council Member Bill Haskins endorsed Mejia as well as former Maplewood Deputy Mayor Deb Engel endorsing Mejia, describing her as a “strong female organizer who is not afraid to stand up.”
Recently, Mejia also received an endorsement from the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, a union that is consistently involved in New Jersey politics, previously endorsing Gov. Mikie Sherill in 2025.
Mejia discussed the importance of unity in the Democratic party, and the responsibility they have to voters to stand to policies and ideologies that go against their voters’ interests.
“We are clear that we need to join forces to fight the real problem, and that is rising authoritarianism, a rigged economy, and the corruption that is plain as day emanating from MAGA Trumpism,” said Mejia.
Joe Hathaway, the Republican nominee, is Mejia’s main opponent in the special election. Mejia criticized Republican lawmakers over healthcare policy, arguing that thousands of families in her district are losing coverage, while corporate interests are prioritized.
Supporters at a Mejia campaign event on March 14 in Maplewood.
“New Jersey families deserve quality healthcare that won’t bankrupt them—and leaders willing to fight for them,” Mejia told The Village Green. “Already, approximately 40,000 families in NJ-11 have lost coverage, and many more are stuck with inadequate plans because Republicans are choosing to appease big insurance companies and their PACs over the people they represent. Whether it’s expanding Medicare, lowering the eligibility age, or establishing a public option, Congress must do more to deliver for working families.”
Hathaway, like other Republicans and some Democrats, has been critical of Mejia for her stance on Israel, particularly the Israeli state and Benjamin Netanyahu. Mejia responded to the accusations of antisemitism by her opponents, saying, “We are in a moment in which rising antisemitism, just like rising Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, xenophobia, is gripping our nation in part because we have a President who foments and traffics in hate,” Mejia told The Village Green. “I say to voters in New Jersey’s 11th, including my Jewish brothers and sisters, that I see them. I see how rising antisemitism is dangerous, and they feel uniquely persecuted [at] this moment, I see it.”
When asked what she believes is the strongest aspect of her political campaign up to this point, she points out her authenticity, relatability and political track record.
“My biggest strength is that I’m authentic,” said Mejia. “I present myself as I am. I’m not a politician. I am a working mom. I am a concerned citizen. I am an educated voter. I am an organizer who has fought and won for smart policies in the state of New Jersey and at the national level at this moment, we are all called to take a step into our self governance and self leadership.”
This story is by David Bien-Aime, a journalism major at Montclair State University and Editor in Chief of The Montclarion. Bien-Aime is working with Village Green through a grant from the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
