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NJ special election: Who are the candidates?
FOX 5 NY's Teresa Priolo takes a closer look at the upcoming race.
NEW JERSEY - The special election to fill New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill's former seat in Congress has arrived.
Only voters who reside in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, which includes parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, are permitted to vote in the special election. Polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Live NJ-11 special election results
By the numbers:
Meet the candidates
Dig deeper:
Close attention is being paid to this race after the Democratic primary election resulted in a major upset. There are currently three candidates: the Democratic nominee, the Republican nominee and one Independent.
Analilia Mejia
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NJ CD 11 Special Election - Democratic Candidate Analilia Mejia
A one-on-one discussion with Democratic Candidate Analilia Mejia ahead of the special election to fill the House seat vacated by Governor Mikie Sherrill! That special election taking place on Thursday, April 16th in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District!
The daughter of Colombian and Dominican immigrants, Analilia Mejia is a New Jersey native who began as a union organizer. She also served as the national political director for Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.
Mejia touts endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and several other politicians.
Issues listed on her campaign website include canceling student loan debt and guaranteeing national paid sick days. The candidate has also called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Joe Hathaway
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NJ CD 11 Special Election - Republican Candidate Joe Hathaway
A one-on-one discussion with Republican Candidate Joe Hathaway ahead of the special election to fill the House seat vacated by Governor Mikie Sherrill! That special election taking place on Thursday, April 16th in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District!
Former Mayor of Randolph Joe Hathaway is the Republican nominee. Hathaway is a self-described "lifelong New Jersey resident" who served on Randolph's Township Council before becoming the mayor.
If elected to Congress, Hathaway's foremost promise on his campaign website is to eliminate taxes for first-time home buyers. He also mentions lowering healthcare costs and investing in transportation. The New York Post published their endorsement of the former mayor last month.
Alan Bond
The independent candidate, Alan Bond is a Montclair resident who worked on Wall Street.
Bond served six years in prison for bilking investors. He is running as the "Hope for Tomorrow!" party's candidate.
Democratic primary upset
The backstory:
Mejia was not the candidate favored to win the Democratic primary election earlier this year. Instead, former Rep. Tom Malinowksi was the candidate projected by most outlets to advance to the special election.
RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 29: Democratic incumbent Representative Tom Malinowski participates in a get out the vote event ahead of next month’s midterm elections on October 29, 2022 in Rahway, New Jersey. Malinowski was joined by Sen. Cory Booker …
During the night of the primary, the Democratic National Convention even prematurely sent out emails congratulating Malinowski on his victory. Several news outlets, including The New Jersey Globe, projected that the candidate would win the primary.
The race was determined as too close to be called by the end of the night.