Voters in New Jersey’s 11th District will decide on their next member of Congress in Thursday’s special election to fill the seat formerly held by Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
Progressive organizer Analilia Mejia, who clinched the Democratic nomination in a February upset over former Rep. Tom Malinowski, is favored to win the blue-leaning North Jersey district over Republican nominee Joe Hathaway, the mayor of Randolph Township, and independent candidate Alan Bond.
The daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants, Mejia worked for the Service Employees International Union before becoming the executive director of New Jersey’s Working Families Party. She then worked for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential bid and in the Labor Department under President Joe Biden.