NJ-11 Election Update: Still No Winner 4 Days After Primary (See Live Results)

UPDATE: Tom Malinowski issued a statement conceding the race to Analilia Mejia on Feb. 10. The Associated Press declared Mejia as the winner on Feb. 12.

No winner has been declared as of Monday morning in a competitive Democratic primary election to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.

With 93 percent of votes counted, the two frontrunners – Analilia Mejia and Tom Malinowski – are separated by less than 1,000 ballots, with Mejia in the lead, according to unofficial results from the Associated Press.

Thursday’s special primary election saw tens of thousands of votes throughout Essex, Morris and Passaic counties. The race remained too close to call heading into the weekend, with thousands of mail-in and provisional ballots still outstanding and yet to be counted.

The Republican candidate, Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, ran unopposed.

• READ MORE: NJ-11 Primary Election Results: Who Will Replace Mikie Sherrill?
• READ MORE: Meet The Only GOP Candidate Running For Sherrill's Congress Seat

In addition to Mejia and Malinowski, other Democratic candidates included Tahesha Way, Brendan Gill, John Bartlett, Justin Strickland, Jeff Grayzel, Zachary Beecher, Cammie Croft, Anna Lee Williams, and J-L Cauvin.

Two of the candidates who appeared on the Democratic ballot withdrew from the race before Election Day: Marc Chaaban and Dean Dafis.

The winners of the primary will match up against any independent or third-party candidates in a general election for all the marbles on Thursday, April 16. There will be nine days of in-person early voting (April 6 to April 14). The voter registration deadline is March 26.

Here are some updates on one of the biggest elections of the year in New Jersey:

STILL WAITING FOR RESULTS

Neither Mejia or Malinowski has conceded defeat as of Monday morning. Both candidates continue to ask for patience as the vote-counting process plays out.

“The work isn’t done until every vote is counted,” Mejia commented Friday.

“Thank you to every supporter who pushed this campaign to the finish line,” Mejia said. “Since entering the race, our 1,200 volunteers knocked 10,000 doors, made 300,000 phone calls and completed 3,100 shifts.”

Malinowski also thanked his supporters in a message on Sunday.

“While we wait for every vote to be counted, I wanted to personally thank the hundreds of dedicated volunteers and supporters who made this campaign a reality,” he wrote.

“We’re waiting for every last voice to be heard in this election, but win or lose, we have built something we can all be proud of,” Malinowski added.

• See Related: ‘Too Close To Call’: Mejia, Malinowski React To Premature Election Projections

CONCEDING DEFEAT, ENDORSEMENTS

Meanwhile, several of the Democratic frontrunners have conceded defeat, including Brendan Gill.

Gill, a commissioner board member in Essex County, has endorsed Mejia, crediting her with running a “powerful, people-driven campaign.”

“While last night did not end the way we hoped, I believe deeply in respecting the will of the voters and the democratic process,” Gill said Friday.

“I am grateful of all the support from local elected officials and community leaders that helped build this campaign,” he said.

Gill appeared at an “ICE Watch and Nonviolence Training” town hall event in Montclair last weekend alongside Mejia and two other Democratic candidates: Cammie Croft and Anna Lee Williams. U.S. Reps. Rob Menendez, LaMonica McIver and Bonnie Watson Coleman were also present at the town hall.

Another Democratic frontrunner, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, shared an election update on Monday.

“Proud of this campaign,” Way wrote. “Proud of the people who powered it. And proud of the fight we’re in together.”

“Our work is far from over,” she added.

Other candidates who have commented in the wake of the primary include:

John Bartlett – “While yesterday’s results are not the outcome we spent months working toward, I still end this campaign with a heart full of gratitude for the journey we’ve taken together and for our democratic system. Our north star was ‘public service over self service’ and that is a standard I will continue to exemplify in the continuing work of making our union more perfect.”

Justin Strickland – “Our campaign was a true grassroots candidacy. Our all-volunteer team was composed of over 40 people who were all unpaid. Everyone believing in our goals to make life better for regular people and willing to fight for a Democratic Party that takes action.”

Zachary Beecher – “Progress isn’t a finish line; it’s a relay. We had the audacity to believe we could shape our own future, and that belief doesn't end today. Deeply proud of the race we ran, the team that made it possible, and the NJ-11 family that makes this fight worth it.”

Cammie Croft – “While this wasn’t the outcome we hoped for, it is far from the end. I entered this race as an underdog with big ideas, limited name recognition, and an unshakable belief that our politics can be better. I leave it proud of what we built together: a campaign that exceeded expectations, challenged politics-as-usual, and proved there is real hunger for leadership rooted in care, integrity, and results. The work of fighting for our families, our neighbors, and a healthier political future continues – and together, I know we will keep moving it forward.”

Anna Lee Williams – “I’m so proud of our team and everything we’ve accomplished together. Thank you to everyone who supported our movement - it truly means the world to me. Stay tuned because we’re in the fight for a fair deal for the long haul! As for the future of NJ-11, I’m thrilled to see Analilia Mejia leading as our next Congresswoman. Let’s do this thing!”

J-L Cauvin – “It looks like Analilia Mejia will win and she will have my full support. My supporters have my full gratitude. But the biggest story in NJ politics is the race for 11th place folks.”

ELECTION BACKGROUND

Sherrill resigned from her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives last year after she was elected as New Jersey’s 57th governor. Her term ends in January 2027.

A super-competitive contest to decide her replacement has fueled an explosion of campaign spending. Candidates have reportedly spent $3.2 million through mid-January, and independent groups have spent at least $3.9 million.

There were 226,173 registered Democrats and 164,807 registered Republicans in the 11th district as of Feb. 1. There were 206,102 unaffiliated voters, state data shows.

>> READ MORE: NJ-11 Candidates Introduce Themselves At Forum [WATCH]

Candidates have been circling common themes on their campaign websites – including several issues that weighed heavily in last November’s governor race. During that election, voters told pollsters that their top issues included affordability, taxes, schools, transportation, the economy and public safety.

Democratic candidates will be at least partly judged according to how they’ve reacted to the presidency of Donald Trump, an issue that some politicos say was a major factor in Sherrill’s landslide gubernatorial win.

The candidates have also been vocal about their positions on ICE activity, with a major federal immigration detention center located in their district: Delaney Hall.

Meanwhile, all but one of the candidates recently shared their views on public transportation with two advocacy groups. Neither group endorsed any candidate. READ MORE: Trains And Buses In NJ-11: Congress Candidates Talk Public Transportation

A new state law may have contributed to the large field of candidates running in the Feb. 5 primary election to replace Sherrill.

In 2024, a lawsuit was launched that led to changes in New Jersey's primary ballot design – commonly referred to as the “county line” or “party line.”

Previously, 19 counties in the state organized their primary ballots around a slate of party-endorsed candidates and put them in a prominent place. As a result, some voters had a hard time determining which candidates are running for each office. This allegedly gave a huge advantage to those who land on the county line – and exiled the others to “ballot Siberia.”

Now, New Jersey’s primary election ballots have to be formatted in an office block-style ballot, which is organized around the position up for election – not political parties. The result? A more competitive primary election, some experts say.

• See Related: NJ County Is Abandoning Legal Battle Against ‘The Line’
• See Related: New Jersey GOP, Dems Launch Groundbreaking Ballot Design Committee

WHERE IS THE 11TH DISTRICT?

New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District includes the following municipalities:

Essex County – Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair (part), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange, West Caldwell

Morris County – Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Twp (part), Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens

Passaic County – Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne (part), Woodland Park

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