Analilia Mejia declares victory in NJ special election in stunning upset

Analilia Mejia defeated 10 other Democrats to win the party’s nod for the April 16 election to succeed Gov. Mikie Sherrill in the House.

By: Sophie Nieto-Munoz

Outlets: New Jersey Monitor

Published: February 10, 2026

Words: 642

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 2 days ago

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Progressive activist Analilia Mejia declared victory in the 11th Congressional District’s special Democratic primary on Tuesday, a stunning upset in the closely watched race to succeed Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.

Mejia celebrated her victory after the runner-up, former Rep. Tom Malinowski, conceded his defeat. The Associated Press has yet to declare a winner, though Mejia leads by nearly 900 votes.

“People will say that this district is not the …

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