Analilia Mejia, progressive ally of Bernie Sanders, wins special New Jersey House primary

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TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Analilia Mejia, a longtime progressive organizer allied with Sen. Bernie Sanders, has emerged victorious in a crowded Democratic primary in the special election to fill the U.S. House seat formerly held by New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill.

The Associated Press declared Mejia the winner Thursday, one week after the closely contested race ended on Feb. 5.

Mejia, 48, overcame former Rep. Tom Malinowski and about a dozen other candidates in New Jersey's 11th District.

Malinowski had already conceded the race, and Mejia has consolidated support among top Democratic leaders in the state ahead of the April 16 special general election against Republican Joe Hathaway.

The progressive victory shows the evolution of New Jersey's 11th District, which includes parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties and some of New York City's wealthier suburbs. The district was reliably Republican until President Donald Trump's first term, when Sherrill won as part of a Democratic wave in 2018.

Now, instead of backing a more moderate replacement for Sherrill, primary voters chose Mejia, who campaigned on populist economic policies and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Republicans plan to portray her as too far left for the district.

A former director of the Working Families Alliance in New Jersey, Mejia was a regular presence in the state capitol, advocating for progressive causes. She served as Sanders’ political director during his 2020 presidential run, and she was the deputy director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau under President Joe Biden.

In addition to Sanders, she was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Another key player in the race was the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, whose affiliated super PAC tried to thwart Malinowski after he questioned unconditional aid to the Israeli government. Their efforts appeared to backfire as Mejia, who said she agreed Israel committed genocide in Gaza, edged out a victory.

The winner of the April 16 special general election will serve out the remainder of Sherrill’s term, which ends in January. There will also be a regular primary June 2 and a general election Nov. 3 for the new term.