New Jersey's 11th Congressional District special election is shaping up to be a battle for unity on the left, as progressives rally behind a single candidate in stark contrast to internal divisions within the party establishment. In a reversal of the typical pattern where left-wing infighting hinders unity among moderates coalesce around a party insider, this time local Democratic power brokers are struggling to unite behind a single contender.
In the primary set to take place on February 5, 11 Democrats are vying for the open seat that fourth-term Representative Mikie Sherrill vacated after being elected governor. While former New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy backs Brendan Gill, a county commissioner in Essex County, and former Lt. Governor Tahesha Way, both seen as close to Murphy, they don't appear to be the leading moderate in the race. Instead, it's former Representative Tom Malinowski, who served two terms in Congress from neighboring New Jersey's 7th district before losing his seat in 2022, that seems to have the backing of U.S. Senator Andy Kim and is raising more money than Gill or Way.
In contrast, progressive support for Analilia Mejia, a longtime political organizer and former staffer for Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, has been nearly unified. Mejia's platform, which includes supporting Medicare for All and a proposal to make the first $40,000 in wages free of federal income tax, has garnered endorsements from major unions like 1199 Service Employees International Union and Communications Workers of America Local 1037. Unions say Mejia's worker-friendly stance is partly why they're backing her, as she had previously served as a political director at the union.
Mejia's own personal history as a longtime organizer in New Jersey has also played a role in her appeal to local Democratic power brokers. As Ana Maria Hill, vice president of 32BJ SEIU, noted, Mejia "spoke to members of Spanish and English," which resonated with the bilingual union members who endorsed her unilaterally.
The Working Families Party, generally supportive of progressive Democrats, also backed Mejia due to her past role as executive director of the New Jersey WFP. Antoinette Miles, party's current state director, described Mejia as representing something different from what has traditionally been represented in New Jersey, a notion that may reflect the "Mamdani moment" – lessons learned from last year's New York City mayoral campaign.
While Mejia is well behind Malinowski and Gill in fundraising terms, her robust volunteer effort and momentum among progressive organizations make her a heavy favorite to win the seat in April's special election. The primary itself will also serve as an early test of New Jersey's new "county line" system, which abolishes preferential ballot placement for candidates endorsed by county party committees, paving the way for a more unified left-wing candidate in the general election.
In the primary set to take place on February 5, 11 Democrats are vying for the open seat that fourth-term Representative Mikie Sherrill vacated after being elected governor. While former New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy backs Brendan Gill, a county commissioner in Essex County, and former Lt. Governor Tahesha Way, both seen as close to Murphy, they don't appear to be the leading moderate in the race. Instead, it's former Representative Tom Malinowski, who served two terms in Congress from neighboring New Jersey's 7th district before losing his seat in 2022, that seems to have the backing of U.S. Senator Andy Kim and is raising more money than Gill or Way.
In contrast, progressive support for Analilia Mejia, a longtime political organizer and former staffer for Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, has been nearly unified. Mejia's platform, which includes supporting Medicare for All and a proposal to make the first $40,000 in wages free of federal income tax, has garnered endorsements from major unions like 1199 Service Employees International Union and Communications Workers of America Local 1037. Unions say Mejia's worker-friendly stance is partly why they're backing her, as she had previously served as a political director at the union.
Mejia's own personal history as a longtime organizer in New Jersey has also played a role in her appeal to local Democratic power brokers. As Ana Maria Hill, vice president of 32BJ SEIU, noted, Mejia "spoke to members of Spanish and English," which resonated with the bilingual union members who endorsed her unilaterally.
The Working Families Party, generally supportive of progressive Democrats, also backed Mejia due to her past role as executive director of the New Jersey WFP. Antoinette Miles, party's current state director, described Mejia as representing something different from what has traditionally been represented in New Jersey, a notion that may reflect the "Mamdani moment" – lessons learned from last year's New York City mayoral campaign.
While Mejia is well behind Malinowski and Gill in fundraising terms, her robust volunteer effort and momentum among progressive organizations make her a heavy favorite to win the seat in April's special election. The primary itself will also serve as an early test of New Jersey's new "county line" system, which abolishes preferential ballot placement for candidates endorsed by county party committees, paving the way for a more unified left-wing candidate in the general election.
I think this is actually kinda cool that progressive groups are coming together behind one candidate, Analilia Mejia, instead of fighting each other. It's like they're trying to show that unity can be possible even on the left side of the aisle 
. And I love how she has a personal connection with local unions and politicians - it shows that she genuinely cares about the people and not just playing politics 
. The fact that Mejia is a "Mamdani moment" kinda candidate, learning from last year's NYC mayoral campaign, is also super refreshing 
. Maybe this can be a sign of things to come for progressive candidates in NJ? 
. It seems like progressives are finally uniting behind a single candidate, Analilia Mejia, who's got a strong worker-friendly platform 
. I mean, Medicare for All and no federal income tax on wages? That sounds like some radical stuff 
. But seriously, it's awesome to see local power brokers coalescing around a clear progressive leader.
. If Mejia can win over moderates and party insiders, that could be a real game-changer for the left. And with the new "county line" system in place, it'll be interesting to see if it actually leads to more unity among progressives.
. It's actually kinda refreshing to see the progressive side of the party coalescing behind one person (Analilia Mejia) instead of fighting amongst themselves. I mean, don't get me wrong, internal debates are par for the course in politics, but it's rare to see them resolve into a unified front like this. The fact that Mejia has been able to build momentum with unions and progressive orgs is huge 
. Progressives are all behind Analilia Mejia, but the rest of the party is like "wait, who's that?" Meanwhile, Tom Malinowski is just out there collecting checks from both sides and thinking he's the king 
. And don't even get me started on the unions – 1199 Service Employees International Union and Communications Workers of America Local 1037 are basically besties with Mejia 
. Who knows, maybe this is the "Mamdani moment" everyone's been talking about – it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out! 
. Her Medicare for All and free wages proposal is getting major union support, which is huge 
. And can we talk about her personal story? As someone who's been organizing in NJ, it's great to see her connect with local power brokers 
. Malinowski and Gill are gonna have a tough time keeping up with Mejia's momentum 
. The 'county line' system change is also super interesting, it'll be cool to see how it impacts the general election 
. It's like they're trying to prove that being a progressive is all about being extra 
. Both sides are going at it and it's gonna be interesting to see who wins the coveted seat...and by "won," I mean gets to unite the left wing and make everyone feel good for a hot second 
. It's like they're having an identity crisis or something 
. The fact that she's got endorsements from major unions like 1199 and CWA Local 1037 is huge, I think her platform really resonates with the working-class folks 
. Plus, her personal history as an organizer in NJ has earned her a lot of goodwill among local Democrats 
. The county line system in the primary might just end up benefiting her in the long run too 
.
. Will it really work, or is it just a fancy way of saying "we're all still going to fight each other"? Only time will tell 
. I think it's cool that there are two strong contenders, Analilia Mejia and Tom Malinowski, but their approaches couldn't be more different 
. Mejia's got the backing of major unions and her grassroots efforts are really paying off 
.
. If progressives can come together behind one candidate, that could be a real game-changer 
.
, and her personal history connectin' with local Dems is no joke 
and Medicare for All 
would be a huge win for Analilia Mejia! 
Meanwhile, Tom Malinowski is struggling to get traction, with only 23% of voters supporting his stance on workers' rights 
. And don't even get me started on Phil Murphy - his endorsement of Gill and Way has only alienated more moderates 
. The progressive momentum behind Mejia is unstoppable!