Progressive Labor Activist Wins Upset Victory in New Jersey Congressional Primary, Concedes Rep. Tom Malinowski.
Analilia Mejia, a progressive labor activist and organizer, has pulled off an upset victory in the Democratic primary to fill New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill's vacated seat in Congress. Former Rep. Tom Malinowski conceded Tuesday morning, with Mejia leading him by just over 1 percentage point.
Mejia's surprise win came after a truncated special primary that officially began in November, when Sherrill resigned the seat following her victory in the governor's race. She outperformed Malinowski, who was expected to dominate the contest, and performed exceptionally well in his home county of Morris.
According to experts, Mejia focused on ground game throughout the campaign, mobilizing volunteers to knock on doors, which paid off for her. Voters in the district went for Sherrill in the primary last year, indicating a shift towards more progressive candidates.
Malinowski had been attacked by outside groups linked with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), who spent nearly $2 million on misleading ads targeting his previous votes to fund ICE. Despite this, Malinowski decried the "massive flood of dark money" and called out AIPAC-backed candidates.
Mejia's campaign was supported by prominent progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She ran on a platform focused on affordability issues, such as rising healthcare, child care, and grocery costs, with a strong stance against immigration enforcement policies.
As the daughter of immigrants from Colombia and the Dominican Republic, Mejia brought a personal perspective to the campaign, emphasizing the need to abolish ICE. Prior to running, she was the director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance and served as Sanders' political director during his 2020 presidential run.
Mejia will now face Republican Joe Hathaway in the special general election scheduled for April 16. The seat is largely seen as a safe one for Democrats, but Mejia's victory demonstrates a growing trend of outsider candidates defeating establishment Democrats in New Jersey and New York City.
Analilia Mejia, a progressive labor activist and organizer, has pulled off an upset victory in the Democratic primary to fill New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill's vacated seat in Congress. Former Rep. Tom Malinowski conceded Tuesday morning, with Mejia leading him by just over 1 percentage point.
Mejia's surprise win came after a truncated special primary that officially began in November, when Sherrill resigned the seat following her victory in the governor's race. She outperformed Malinowski, who was expected to dominate the contest, and performed exceptionally well in his home county of Morris.
According to experts, Mejia focused on ground game throughout the campaign, mobilizing volunteers to knock on doors, which paid off for her. Voters in the district went for Sherrill in the primary last year, indicating a shift towards more progressive candidates.
Malinowski had been attacked by outside groups linked with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), who spent nearly $2 million on misleading ads targeting his previous votes to fund ICE. Despite this, Malinowski decried the "massive flood of dark money" and called out AIPAC-backed candidates.
Mejia's campaign was supported by prominent progressive figures, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She ran on a platform focused on affordability issues, such as rising healthcare, child care, and grocery costs, with a strong stance against immigration enforcement policies.
As the daughter of immigrants from Colombia and the Dominican Republic, Mejia brought a personal perspective to the campaign, emphasizing the need to abolish ICE. Prior to running, she was the director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance and served as Sanders' political director during his 2020 presidential run.
Mejia will now face Republican Joe Hathaway in the special general election scheduled for April 16. The seat is largely seen as a safe one for Democrats, but Mejia's victory demonstrates a growing trend of outsider candidates defeating establishment Democrats in New Jersey and New York City.
this is crazy! I mean, Malinowski was basically expected to crush it and now Mejia just takes the win? 
I've been following her campaign and she played the grassroots game like a pro - door-to-door volunteering, building a strong team... it paid off big time! 
And wow, the AIPAC drama with Malinowski's attacks on himself... didn't think that would backfire so hard 
. Mejia's got a real shot at this seat and I'm excited to see what she'll do in the general election. This whole NJ thing is giving me some serious hope about Democratic candidates taking on the establishment 
think this whole thing is fishy 
. Analilia Mejia's win seems too good to be true, especially with the help from big-name progressives like Bernie Sanders & Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a fresh face in Congress, but something about this feels orchestrated 
. And what's up with Malinowski conceding so quickly? Maybe he was already in on it? 
. I'm not buying it 
.
what's crazy is she didn't spend millions like he did 
and instead focused on door-to-door campaigning 
it paid off big time! her win shows the power of grassroots organizing and progressive values 
she's like the real deal, you know? a labor activist and organizer who's all about fighting for workers' rights and making healthcare affordable... it's so refreshing to see someone in politics who actually cares about the people, not just some rich donors or special interests 
it's like she's saying, "hey, I'm not gonna play by your rules"
.
.
. Like, have you ever tried making those Korean-style BBQ tacos? They're insane! 
. I've been experimenting with different ingredients and techniques, and it's amazing how something as simple as adding some toasted sesame seeds can elevate the whole dish 
. Anyway, back to politics... I guess what I'm trying to say is that Mejia's win is definitely a reflection of the changing tide in New Jersey 
all those big names backing her made sense, they're onto something with this affordability stuff 
can't wait to see how she'll shape up the new NJ delegation