New Jersey Special Election Results: Live Updates, Winner Revealed & What It Means for the 2026 Midterms

Democrat Analilia Mejia flipped the spotlight on New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District Tuesday night, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway 59.6 % to 40 % with 94 % of the expected vote counted, according to the Associated Press tally published by NBC News. The special election fills the seat vacated when former Rep. Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as governor earlier this year. Why the race mattered • Control math: Democrats will now hold 213 seats in the U.S. House, narrowing Republicans’ margin to 220–213 with two vacancies remaining. • National test: Both parties framed NJ-11 as a referendum on reproductive rights and the economy ahead of November’s full-term rematch for the seat. • Suburban bellwether: The district—anchored in Morris, Essex and Passaic counties—mirrors the college-educated suburban vote that has decided recent cycles. County breakdown at a glance • Essex County: Mejia 70.9 %, Hathaway 28.5 % • Morris County: Mejia 53.7 %, Hathaway 45.9 % • Passaic County: Hathaway edged Mejia 50.3 % to 49.2 %, but the margin was too small to dent her overall lead. Who is Analilia Mejia? A former labor organizer and deputy director of the Working Families Party, Mejia served on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign and later advised the Biden administration on worker outreach. She campaigned on codifying abortion rights, expanding the child tax credit and capping prescription-drug costs. “Tonight North Jersey sent a message: working families beat big money when we organize,” she told supporters in Montclair after the race was called. GOP takeaway Hathaway, a finance executive who emphasized anti-inflation policies and tighter border security, conceded shortly before midnight. In a statement he argued that “the map is still competitive” heading into November, noting the district’s prior Republican tilt before Sherrill flipped it in 2018. Voter turnout signals Turnout reached roughly 130,000—about 41 % of the 2024 presidential turnout in NJ-11—high for an off-cycle April race. Early-vote totals slightly favored Republicans, but Democrats surged in same-day precincts across suburban Essex and western Morris townships, a pattern national strategists will study as they model fall turnout. Impact on upcoming primaries Mejia will be sworn in next week but must run again in the June 2 primary for a full two-year term. No major Democratic challenger has filed; three Republicans, including Hathaway, have already pulled petitions, setting up a possible rematch. What happens next in Congress House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he expects Mejia to be seated before the May vote on the bipartisan Ukraine-Israel aid package. Her arrival could trim Speaker Mike Johnson’s buffer to three votes, complicating GOP whip counts on government-funding riders and FISA reauthorization. Key quote “From Montclair to Morristown, voters want leaders who protect freedoms and deliver on pocket-book issues,” Mejia said. “We won because we talked about the cost of living at every door.” SEO recap New Jersey special election results show Democrat Analilia Mejia winning NJ-11, tightening the House balance and setting the stage for a high-stakes November contest.