Mejia Holds Narrow Lead Over Malinowski in Too-Close-to-Call NJ-11 Democratic Primary

The Democratic special primary in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District remains too close to call after election night, with progressive Analilia Mejia holding a slim lead over former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski. With nearly all election-day ballots counted, the final result could hinge on outstanding mail ballots that counties say will be accepted if postmarked by Election Day and received by Wednesday.

Mail Ballots Could Decide the Race

County officials reported late Thursday that more than 1,000 mail ballots are already in hand and awaiting tabulation. Those outstanding ballots, along with any additional valid mail ballots that arrive before the deadline, may determine the winner in a contest that drew more than a dozen Democratic candidates.

Who’s In The Lead — And What’s At Stake

Trailing Mejia and Malinowski are former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill. The primary winner will face Republican Randolph Township councilman Joe Hathaway — who ran unopposed — in the April 16 general election. The district favored the Democratic 2024 ticket (Biden–Harris) by nearly nine percentage points, making the Democratic nominee the favorite in November.

National Implications

The April primary was widely viewed as an early test between the progressive and establishment wings of the Democratic Party ahead of the midterms. A Mejia victory would be a high-profile win for national progressive leaders who backed her, while a Malinowski comeback would return a former congressman to the national stage four years after his 2022 defeat.

Backgrounds And Campaign Dynamics

Analilia Mejia is a longtime organizer who served as political director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and was endorsed by Sanders, helping her consolidate support in the progressive lane. Mejia has said she was motivated to run after Democrats ended last year’s government shutdown without securing an extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits.

Tom Malinowski represented New Jersey’s 7th District for two terms before losing in 2022 when redistricting made the seat more favorable to Republicans. The former State Department diplomat led the field in fundraising, leveraging his prior House profile, but faced critical ads over alleged failures to properly disclose stock trades while in office. He was also the target of more than $1.7 million in negative ads from a group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee; those ads attacked his record on votes tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding and portrayed him as insufficiently supportive of Israel.

The parties and campaigns are now awaiting the completion of mail-ballot counts. Election officials expect the outstanding ballots to be processed in the coming days, after which a clear winner should emerge.

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