NJ-11: The next battle between establishment Dems and progressives? NJ's special election.

Just days after Mikie Sherrill resigned from Congress in November, former union organizer Analilia Mejia secured her highest-profile endorsement so far in a crowded race to fill the incoming governor's seat in the House of Representatives.

"Analilia’s experience and deep dedication to working families make her the best choice for this seat," U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont wrote on X.

The backing places Mejia in the company of rising progressive Democrats like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner who have vied to replace the party establishment. And many political observers in New Jersey say Mejia’s campaign to replace Sherrill is a test of whether a left-wing candidate can win in what has traditionally been a moderate district.

Due to recent changes in how the state organizes ballots, 11 Democrats and a lone Republican, Mayor Joe Hathaway of Randolph, New Jersey, are all competing for the seat in the state’s 11th Congressional District, which consists of parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties. The primaries are set for Feb. 5, with the general election set for two months later on April 16.



https://gothamist.com/news/the-next-battle-between-establishment-dems-and-progressives-njs-special-election