'Unbought, Unbossed': Mejia Says Progressive Causes Were Key To NJ-11 Election Victory

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Medicare for All. Creating a $25 minimum wage. Taxing the wealthy. Abolishing ICE. These are some of the progressive causes that Analilia Mejia says helped catapult her to victory in the race to replace Mikie Sherrill.

On Thursday, voters in New Jersey’s 11th congressional district picked a replacement for Sherrill, who was required to resign from her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives when she was elected governor.

Mejia matched up against Joe Hathaway and Alan Bond in a special general election to fill the remainder of Sherrill’s unexpired term. The Associated Press has declared Mejia as the winner, although the results remain uncertified.

Hathaway, the Republican candidate, conceded the race about an hour after polls closed.

RELATED: NJ Republican Craves Rematch In Battle For Sherrill’s Congress Seat

The presumptive win would give Mejia a big advantage headed into the mid-term elections. The seat is up for a full term in November, with another primary election taking place this June.

Mejia is the first Latina to represent the district in Congress, her campaign team said.

The longtime labor organizer hasn’t shied away from several left-leaning causes, which she claims were key to her strong showing on Thursday.

“New Jersey families are working harder than ever and have less to show for it,” her campaign website reads. “Meanwhile, billionaires and corporations are rigging the rules, buying politicians, and leaving the rest of us to pick up the pieces.”

“Our democracy is being sold to the highest bidder while working families fall further behind,” Mejia said. “I've spent 25 years fighting to take power back from the rich and give it back to the people, and that’s what I’ll do in Congress.”

Stances like this earned Mejia endorsements on the national stage from U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren. In New Jersey, she was backed by Sherrill, the state’s two U.S. senators – Cory Booker and Andy Kim – and several of the Democrats who competed against her in the primary election.

Gov. Sherrill congratulated Mejia for her presumptive win on Thursday evening.

“I know Analilia is a fierce fighter for families, and will work to drive down costs just as much as she will to stand up to Trump when he harms New Jersey,” Sherrill said.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said Mejia’s grassroots campaign spoke to hardworking New Jersey families.

“While Republicans like Joe Hathaway continue to be dragged down and defeated by Trump’s unpopular agenda and broken promises, Democrats like Rep.-elect Mejia are notching big wins because they have real plans to lower costs, protect health care and tackle the affordability crisis head-on,” Martin said.

The New Jersey State AFL-CIO touted Mejia’s efforts to fight for higher wages and paid sick leave, calling her a “fierce advocate for working people.”

Other supporters congratulating Mejia included Make the Road Action New Jersey, a pro-immigrant advocacy group that helped to rally voters in the district.

“Tonight’s victory is more than a testament – it is a call to action to do away with outdated playbooks that favor the billionaire class and power the authoritarianism regime,” said Nedia Morsy, the nonprofit’s director.

“Progressive power is building every day in New Jersey and across this country,” Morsy added.

IN HER OWN WORDS

Mejia, a Glen Ridge resident, held an Election Night party at the Montclair Art Museum. Watch the livestream video here.

Here’s what she had to say at the rally:

“My friends and family… first and foremost – thank you!

“Thank you to everyone who cast their ballots for the unbought, unbossed organizer who stands before you tonight as the next congresswoman to represent the great people of New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district.

“I want to thank the amazing volunteers who carried out close to 570,000 direct voter contacts.

“The incredible organizations that threw down together – Make the Road, Popular Democracy, WFP, NJ 11 for Change, SOMA Action, Indivisible – you are the engine of this victory.

“SEIU, CWA, AFT, Teamsters, Carpenters, Painters, Machinists and more… I will stand as firmly with you, as you have stood by me. Union proud!

“I want to thank the New Jersey congressional delegation, the Passaic, Essex and Morris County Democratic Party… and of course, thank you to my former rivals turned amazing supporters: Cammie, Anna Lee, JL, Mark, and of course Tom, and Brendan – you truly are class acts.

“I want to thank my incredible team, your energy and fire kept me motivated, and I thank my predecessor, Gov. Mikie Sherril, who stepped up with guidance and support. No one makes it alone, I am here because of all of YOU.

“Most of all, I want to thank my biggest supporters, my family, I would be nowhere without your support every step of the way. Rob, Langston, August: you are everything.

“In November, when I jumped into this race, the odds were stacked against us in every way. And in mere weeks, we did the impossible and won.

“Now, 10 weeks after that tremendous primary victory, the daughter of a Dominican factory worker and Colombian seamstress, stands before you: proud and humbled by the trust YOU have placed in me.

“When I was a child, I often dreamt about my place in the world.

“As the daughter of two people who faced tremendous hardship with courage, I wondered what could possibly be in store for a working class kid like me.

“My mother, who is here tonight, gave me courage and helped me see that the greatest thing I could ever do in this world was to help change the lives of others for the better.

“My mother often spoke of walking through life with an open hand. A closed palm may hold on to what it has, but can never receive a gift from others.

“I took that instruction and ran with it. Not in pursuit of fame or fortune – those things are ephemeral after all – instead I took my mother’s advice and applied it to the idea that “We the People, who have formed an imperfect but beautiful union,” have tremendous power when we work together.

“We the people, who 250 years after our founding find ourselves living in the most trying of times, have the power to affect the globe if we so desire it.

“We the people hold the pen, and if we wield it with justice, with kindness, with humanity, we can be transform lives for the better

“My opponent has spent his whole campaign calling me names and saying my ideas are too radical. But we know, that is a mind trick, on brand for a spin doctor, but easily countered if you just open your eyes.

“It is not radical to say that one of the wealthiest nations in the world should do more to protect the health of its people. There should be no American forced to ration their insulin, or heart medication. There should be no child denied the educational services they need to thrive. There should be no retiree who goes homeless, and certainly there should be no worker who toils all day and then finds themselves unable to make ends meet.

“In one of the richest nations of the world, middle class families shouldn't find themselves falling behind while billionaires beholden to Donald Trump consolidate their stranglehold on every aspect of our economy and future.

“If you ask me, Jeff Bezos, Mike Johnson, Palantir, Elon Musk, Donald Trump and Joe Hathaway are the radicals.

“Radicals who are willing to upend our democracy and subvert our constitution and act with impunity like spoiled children.

“Radicals who will cut services and programs and tell you they helped you.

“Radicals who believe that dying from lack of health care is freedom and acting in the common good is perverse.

“Radicals who will clap for a president so perverse he insults the God he purports to uphold, and who will watch as Rome burns with all of us within it, simply because they are too cowardly to say NO.

“This is madness, and we know it. And here is the open secret, so do they.

“The truth is simple: our system is broken.

“And we are done waiting our turn.

“This victory was never about me. It was about us. It was about what we can build together.

“And our work is not done tonight.

“This is only the beginning.

“To all assembled here and across this great district, know that I will fight for you every single day.

“I will fight for your rights, your freedoms, your safety, and your prosperity every single day, and that is my commitment to the people of New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

“I ran this campaign by talking to voters, meeting people where they are at, holding town halls, holding training, and that is exactly how I plan to be as your next Congresswoman.

“So let’s get to work, my friends. Thank you for believing. Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we continue. Together, we are powerful.

“Thank you for your support!”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.