Eleven Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, a crucial race as Republicans seek to maintain their slim majority in the House of Representatives.
Eleven candidates are competing in the Democratic Party primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, scheduled for Thursday. This seat became vacant after Mikie Sherrill, the former representative and now Governor of New Jersey, stepped down following her victory in the gubernatorial election last November.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Joe Hathaway, the sole GOP candidate, in a special election set for April 16. This election is particularly significant as it occurs while Republicans hold a precarious 218-214 majority in the House of Representatives.
The GOP could potentially bolster its numbers before the New Jersey special election. A special election is also slated for March 10 in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, following the resignation of former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. Greene, a prominent figure aligned with former President Donald Trump, stepped down a year before the end of her term.
In Georgia, a crowded field of 22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, will compete on the same ballot. If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held on April 7 between the top two finishers. Greene had previously won re-election in 2024 by nearly 30 points, and Trump carried the district by a significant 37 points.
Back in New Jersey, while the Democratic primary features a large field, only a few candidates are considered serious contenders for the nomination. Among the frontrunners is former Representative Tom Malinowski, who served in the neighboring 7th Congressional District from 2018 to 2022 before losing to current GOP Representative Thomas Kean Jr. Malinowski previously held the position of Assistant Secretary of State during Barack Obama’s administration.
Other notable candidates include Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, former Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett, and progressive organizer Analilia Mejia. Mejia is running as an outsider and has garnered support from prominent progressive figures such as Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Sanders even headlined a virtual rally for her campaign on the eve of the primary.
The 11th District, located in northern New Jersey, leans Democratic. Sherrill won re-election in 2024 by a margin of 15 points, mirroring her victory in the gubernatorial race. However, during the 2024 presidential election, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by a narrower margin of just eight points, providing the GOP with some hope of flipping the seat.
In addition to the New Jersey race, there is another vacant seat in Congress following the unexpected death of Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa in California’s 1st Congressional District. A primary to fill LaMalfa’s seat is scheduled for June 2, coinciding with California’s primary day, and the special general election will take place on August 4. This district is solidly Republican.
The outcome of the upcoming elections in both New Jersey and Georgia could have significant implications for the balance of power in the House of Representatives, as both parties seek to solidify their positions ahead of the next general election.
According to Fox News, the stakes are high as Democrats aim to retain a seat that could help maintain their influence in Congress.