NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) — Analilia Mejia, a longtime labor activist who’s never held elected office, is one of close to a dozen Democrats who are vying for an open Congressional seat in New Jersey.
Her campaign is a test of whether a Zohran Mamdani-style candidate can prevail in the suburbs.
Mejia uses the same social-media firm that helped the New York City Mayor go viral on TikTok. She landed endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as multiple unions and New Jersey’s Working Families Party, which she led until 2019. And she has called for abolishing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a progressive rallying cry.
Mejia is seeking the 11th Congressional district seat vacated by Mikie Sherrill, who became New Jersey’s governor last month after serving four terms in the US House. The district encompasses Sherrill’s liberal-leaning hometown of Montclair as well as more moderate and conservative areas.
Voters will head to the polls on Thursday to cast ballots in a Democratic primary where Mejia, who was Sanders’ national political director during his 2020 presidential campaign, is squaring off against some seasoned New Jersey Democrats with experience in office and deep-pocketed donors.
Among the higher-profile contenders are former Congressman Tom Malinowski, who served in a nearby House district until 2023; Brendan Gill, an at-large member of the Essex County Board of County Commissioners endorsed by former Governor Phil Murphy; and Tahesha Way, Murphy’s former lieutenant governor.
Some local voters say they are ready for a change. Nicole Cooley, a college professor grading papers at Paper Plane Coffee Co. in Montclair, said she plans to vote for Mejia. Cooley attended a training session for members of the public hosted by Mejia on how to protect themselves from and engage with ICE.
“The Democratic Party needs some fresh energy,” Cooley said.
Malinowski has touted polling by his campaign that shows him leading the race. But the crowded field of primary candidates could create an opportunity for a small bloc of energized voters to wield a disproportionate influence — much like the wave of enthusiasm that lifted the little-known Mamdani to victory.
Figures from mail-in ballots and the first day of early voting show a similar turnout to the same period for the previous primary in 2024, a sign that the hotly contested primary and big spending are boosting interest despite the unusual timing, said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University.
Observers say Mejia’s high-profile endorsements and deepening opposition to President Donald Trump among Democrats have made her competitive. Yet to win, she will need to perform well with affluent voters in commuter towns who may be uncomfortable with her calls to tax the rich and corporations, according to Matt Hale, an associate professor of political science at Seton Hall University.
“They can’t stand the Republican Party and they can’t stand Donald Trump,” Hale said. “But they’re not exactly excited about the idea of homeless shelters in their neighborhoods or affordable housing in their neighborhoods.”
Many of Mejia’s rivals share her positions. Way has called to abolish ICE, while Gill and Malinowski are threatening to defund it. But Mejia said she has been setting the tone.
“When I started this race I was the only one saying abolish ICE,” she said. “I believe voters will capture that. They need someone that is both authentic and that isn’t now repeating what they’ve heard from others, but rather being responsive on day one.”
For many voters, being able to push back against the Trump administration — especially on immigration in the aftermath of ICE’s shooting of two US citizens in Minnesota — is a top priority. Malinowski, who was the first member of the House in the state to call for impeachment inquiries against Trump in 2019, said he has the experience to confront the president.
“Every Democrat in this race feels the same way about what Trump is doing,” he said. “But I think the reason we’ve been doing well in the race is that folks can look at both my record and experience and feel comfortable with that.”
Both Way and Gill also held up their own experience in government. Gill, who was born and raised in the 11th district, said he had built a coalition based on his deep familiarity with the area and local concerns. And Way pointed to her record of standing up to Trump as lieutenant governor.
“I know that we may all have the same or similar ideologies,” Way said. “But at the end of the day, people can call for something, right? But who has acted upon it?”
Malinowski has raised more than $1 million, according to filings as of Jan. 16, outpacing his opponents.