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

2026 ElectionNew Jersey voters head to the polls for a special election to fill Gov. Mikie Sherrill's House seatProgressive activist Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway are competing in New Jersey’s 11th District, which Democrats carried by 9 points in the 2024 presidential election.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleKornacki: New Jersey Democrats look to build on ‘clear’ trend of overperforming in special elections04:14Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 16, 2026, 5:00 AM EDTBy Owen Auston-Babcock and Ryan J. KarlinProgressive activist Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway are facing off Thursday in the special election to succeed New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.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. Democrats are hoping to continue their string of gains in recent special House elections since President Donald Trump took office. In six that have taken place since the beginning of 2025, Democrats have posted net improvements of between 13 and 25 points compared with the 2024 presidential election results. The party’s biggest swing came last week in Georgia’s 14th District, formerly represented by Marjorie Taylor Greene. Democrats fell 12 points sho...