Analilia Mejia wins New Jersey special election primary

Progressive activist Analilia Mejia has won in the Democratic primary in a special election for New Jersey’s safely blue House seat, emerging from a crowded field to clinch a narrow victory days after the Thursday contest.

In a field of nearly a dozen candidates, Mejia ran just ahead of former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who on Tuesday conceded, saying he would support his opponent in the April general election. He also slammed pro-Israel group AIPAC, which spent millions in ad money against him in the contest, ahead of the state’s other upcoming primaries in June.

Mejia will face Republican Joe Hathaway in the general election in two months, with the Democrat heavily favored to win in the district. The winner will complete the congressional term of Mikie Sherrill, who was elected governor in November.  

Mejia, a union organizer, ran on a platform of affordability for the working class, including more funding for child care and raising taxes on the highest earners. She got endorsements from notable progressive lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts,  as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who held a rally with her during the campaign. She also backs abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and raising the minimum wage.

Her campaign focused on upending the “any old blue” model of Democratic politics.

“If you send weak sauce to Congress, we will get weak sauce back,” she said at a rally with Sanders last month.