Democrat Analilia Mejia wins special House election

Progressive activist Analilia Mejia soundly defeated Republican Joe Hathaway in a special election Thursday in the 11th Congressional District, delivering a victory for Democrats in the runup to this fall’s midterm elections.

“In November, when I jumped into this race, the odds were stacked against us. But you know — we did the impossible, and we won,” Mejia said in a crowded hall at the Montclair Art Museum Thursday evening.

Mejia will fill the seat, vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill after Sherrill won the governorship in November, until Jan. 3, 2027.

The Associated Press called the race just seven minutes