Photo: David Bien-Aime | Hanover-Florham Park Eagle
Analilia Mejia has won the Democratic candidacy for the 11th Congressional District of New Jersey, which includes Little Falls and parts of Montclair. She has won her election by a margin of 32 points. Mejia was the subject of national news when she won her seat last April, a major upset which some speculated indicated a national trend favoring progressive candidates.
The special election was held in response to first-year Gov. Mikie Sherrill leaving the seat in 2025.
Mejia is a former Union organizer, and made a point of spotlighting working people’s issues during her campaign, tackling skyrocketing gas prices and grocery costs.
Mejia has advocated in her race for the abolition of ICE, and has highlighted her Latina background and resonated with the community which has been under attack for two years. She also advocated for universal health care, a far left issue in the United States, but one which has been at the center of political discussion post COVID-19 pandemic.
Mejia has frequently been compared to New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and her success is being pointed to as an example of progressive values resonating deeply with today’s voters.
In the Senate elections, Cory Booker coasted to re-election in a historic night for the Democratic Party.
