The Associated Press has declared Analilia Mejia as the winner of the NJ-11 special general election. This article was updated at 10:25 p.m. on April 16.
One of the most-watched elections of the year in New Jersey has reached the finish line: the race to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress.
On Thursday, voters in New Jersey’s 11th 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.
Joe Hathaway won the Republican Party endorsement, and Analilia Mejia earned the Democratic nod in a special primary election. They matched up against independent candidate Alan Bond in a general election. The winner will finish out Sherrill’s unexpired term in Congress.
The Associated Press called the race for Mejia at 8:07 p.m. It was a far cry from the delayed results in the primary election, which took several days before a winner was declared.
Here are the latest uncertified results from the AP, with 87 percent of votes counted (check back for updates):
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, a Glen Ridge resident, held an Election Night party at the Montclair Art Museum on Thursday evening. Watch the livestream video here.
"Thank you for all who cast their votes for an unbought, unbossed, sassy new member of Congress, y'all," she declared.
Hathaway conceded the race to Mejia about an hour after polls closed.
"I want to congratulate Analilia Mejia on her victory in this special election and wish her well as she prepares to represent New Jersey’s 11th district," he said.
Hathaway said the fight isn't over, however.
"I've said from the beginning that we're running through the tape, and I mean it," he said. "I'm looking forward to the rematch in November, when more voices will be heard and the full electorate will have its say."
ELECTION BACKGROUND
The 11th district includes several towns in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties (see full list below).
As of April 1, there were 229,561 registered Democrats, 164,954 Republicans, 203,543 unaffiliated voters, and 4,921 voters affiliated with a third-party in the 11th district.
The campaigning between the Democratic and Republican nominees got heated, with Hathaway accusing Mejia of being a "socialist" and Mejia countering that he would be a "rubber stamp" for President Donald Trump.
Hathaway and Mejia matched wits at a debate earlier this month. Topics that made the cut included affordability, the military, immigration and the Trump administration. Bond was not invited to the debate, but shared the replies he would have given with Patch. READ MORE: NJ-11 Debate Between Mejia, Hathaway: 5 Things To Know
Learn about each candidate’s platform and background at the links below:
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
Want to learn more about the candidates? Check out some of our recent articles below (click headlines to read):
>> RELATED: Mejia Wins Dem Primary In NJ-11: Progressive Politics Prove Popular
>> RELATED: Hathaway Cruises To Easy Victory In Republican Race For NJ-11
>> RELATED: Meet Alan Bond, The Indy Candidate Fighting For Sherrill’s Seat
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