New Jersey's 11th Congressional District holds a special general election on April 16, 2026 to fill the seat vacated when Rep. Mikie Sherrill resigned to become Governor. The race features Democratic nominee Analilia Mejia — a progressive organizer who stunned the establishment — against Republican Joe Hathaway, Randolph's mayor. PoliVion scores both candidates on transparency, donor independence, and governance fit.
Mikie Sherrill represented this northern New Jersey district from 2019 until her resignation on November 20, 2025, after winning the governorship. The 11th District covers parts of Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties — affluent NYC suburbs with a Cook PVI of D+5. Harris won the district by approximately nine points in 2024. A February 5 special primary narrowed the field to Mejia on the Democratic side and Hathaway on the Republican side ahead of the April 16 general. Also running is independent Alan Bond. The winner serves through January 2027, after which a separate full two-year term will be decided in the June 2026 primary and November 2026 general election.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee's United Democracy Project spent $2.3 million in negative ads targeting Tom Malinowski — a moderate Democrat and former congressman who identified as pro-Israel — in the February 5 Democratic special primary. The ads attacked Malinowski for a 2019 vote that provided ICE funding, framing him as pro-deportation. The intervention appears to have backfired: Malinowski had $399K in prior AIPAC history and was broadly considered the pro-Israel candidate in the race. Instead of electing AIPAC's preferred candidate (Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way), the spending boosted Analilia Mejia — the only candidate in the 11-person primary who raised her hand when asked if Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide.
Malinowski conceded to Mejia and in his statement blamed AIPAC directly, calling the campaign "dishonest" and pledging to oppose any AIPAC-backed challenger to Mejia in the June primary. AIPAC's spokesperson said the group "will be very active this election cycle" and would monitor the June primary closely. The episode became a national story about the limits of outside money in Democratic primaries.
Analilia Mejia — Co-Executive Director, Center for Popular Democracy · Former Bernie 2020 National Political Director
PoliVion Score: 68% ⚠ Ranked · DI: 96% · Raised: $600K · TrackAIPAC: $0
Endorsements: Sanders, Warren, AOC, Khanna, Jayapal, Maxwell Frost, Greg Casar
Joe Hathaway — Mayor of Randolph Township · Yale University 2009 · Former Christie aide · Real Chemistry
PoliVion Score: 57% ⚠ Ranked · DI: 74% · Raised: ~$600K · TrackAIPAC: $0
Endorsements: Morris County GOP, Mayors of Florham Park, Hanover, Jefferson
Also on ballot: Alan Bond (Independent) — no significant campaign infrastructure documented.
Per TrackAIPAC and FEC filings, neither Analilia Mejia nor Joe Hathaway has documented Israel lobby contributions. Mejia has explicitly rejected AIPAC money and pledged not to take AIPAC-funded trips to Israel. The $2.3M AIPAC spend in this race was directed against Tom Malinowski in the primary — not at either current general election candidate directly. AIPAC's spokesperson confirmed the group will monitor the June 2026 primary for the full two-year term.
The April 16 special election winner fills Sherrill's seat only through January 2027. A full two-year term starting in January 2027 requires winning both a June 2026 Democratic primary and the November 2026 general election. AIPAC has signaled it will be active in the June primary. If Mejia wins on April 16, she will enter the June primary as an incumbent with momentum — but potentially facing a well-funded AIPAC-backed challenger.
The defining AIPAC story of the 2026 cycle to date. AIPAC's United Democracy Project spent $2.3 million attacking moderate Democrat Tom Malinowski in the February special primary — an intervention that backfired, eliminating AIPAC's preferred outcome and elevating Analilia Mejia, the candidate most critical of Israel in the 11-person field. UDP has explicitly stated it will monitor the June 2026 full-term primary and is expected to spend again. Neither April 16 general election candidate has direct AIPAC exposure.
| Candidate | Status | Lobby Total | PAC Organizations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analilia Mejia (D nominee) | ✓ $0 — Not Listed | $0 — Not Listed | — | Explicitly rejects AIPAC. No AIPAC-funded trips. Called the intervention "horrendous." TrackAIPAC: not listed. |
| Joe Hathaway (R) | ✓ $0 — Not Listed | $0 — Not Listed | — | TrackAIPAC: not listed. No documented Israel lobby exposure. |
| Tom Malinowski (D, lost Feb primary) | ✗ Targeted by UDP | $399K prior career support → $2.3M UDP attack against | UDP (against); J Street (prior support) | AIPAC ironically targeted a candidate they had previously supported. His openness to conditioning aid triggered the attack. |
| Tahesha Way (D, 3rd in Feb primary) | ⚠ Supported | DMFI endorsed — believed preferred candidate | DMFI (Democratic Majority for Israel) | DMFI-backed. Finished third. AIPAC sources confirmed she was the preferred outcome. |
Proxy PACs & New Popup Organizations:
Official Statements & Documented Positions:
Sources: TrackAIPAC.com (data via FEC & OpenSecrets) · Checked March 22, 2026. Lobby Total = career total from all pro-Israel PACs and their donors. PACs = direct contributions. IE = independent expenditure ad spend. Lobby Donors = individuals who make large contributions to pro-Israel PACs.
PoliVion scores every candidate on the same six-component formula using only publicly available evidence — FEC filings, voting records, campaign websites, and verified journalism. Scores reflect transparency and governance capacity, not ideology. Neither candidate scored above the 70% recommended threshold — both are ranked.
New Jersey's 11th Congressional District holds a special general election on April 16, 2026 to fill the seat vacated when Rep. Mikie Sherrill resigned to become Governor of New Jersey.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill represented this northern New Jersey district from 2019 until her resignation on November 20, 2025, after winning the governorship. Her departure triggered a special election under New Jersey law.
Democrat Analilia Mejia (Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy) faces Republican Joe Hathaway (Mayor of Randolph Township and former Christie aide) in the special general election.
The winner serves the remainder of the 119th Congress. A full-term election for NJ-11 takes place in June and November 2026 for a new two-year term beginning January 2027.