Analilia Mejia Sworn In to Replace Mikie Sherrill in House

Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-NJ) was sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday to serve the remainder of Gov. Mikie Sherrill's term in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) administered the oath shortly after the House reconvened in Washington.

Mejia previously worked as a political staffer on Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) 2020 presidential campaign. Mejia secured victory in the special election held on April 16, receiving 59.5% of the vote with 95% counted, compared to 40% for Republican challenger Joe Hathaway.

The district supported former Vice President Kamala Harris by 8 percentage points over President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Sherrill, the prior incumbent, won the seat by 15 percentage points in her 2022 reelection before resigning in November to transition to her role as governor after winning that position last year.

Mejia won a competitive Democratic primary on February 5, defeating 10 other candidates with 29.3% of the vote. Former Rep. Tom Malinowski placed second with 27.6%, while former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Taesha Way finished third with 17.4%. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent over $2.3 million on advertisements opposing Malinowski and supporting Way during the primary.

Mejia received endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL), among others. Malinowski faced criticism from pro-Israel groups leading into the primary.

Mejia and Hathaway are anticipated to face each other again in the November general election for the full congressional term. The seat became vacant after Sherrill's resignation to focus on her gubernatorial duties. The district's voting patterns indicate a Democratic lean, based on recent election results.