New Jersey voters head to the polls for a special election to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrill's House seat

Progressive activist Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway are facing off Thursday in the special election to succeed New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.

Progressive activist Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway are facing off Thursday in the special election to succeed New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.

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Mejia advanced from a crowded primary in February in New Jersey’s 11th District that featured veteran Democrats, including former Rep. Tom Malinowski, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill. Hathaway, a Randolph Township councilman, was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Mejia enters the contest in the Democratic-leaning district as the favorite. Former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the 11th District by 9 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, while Sherrill defeated her Republican congressional opponent by 15 points that year. Sherrill also carried the district by the same margin in her gubernatorial victory last November.