The national political director of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign might enter the race for Mike Sherrill’s congressional seat in New Jersey’s 11th district.
Analilia Mejia, a top progressive activist and former director of New Jersey Working Families, is nearing a decision on whether to join the already crowded field in a Democratic primary that will likely be held during the last week of January or the first week of February.
Sherrill announced this week that she will resign from the House sometime next week as she prepares to take office as New Jersey governor on January 20. Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to issue a writ of special election quickly.
That could set up a two-month campaign for the Democratic nomination in a district that Kamala Harris carried by nine points in 2024.
The short window could be good for Mejia, a Glen Ridge resident whose national progressive contacts and alliance with Sanders and his team potentially open the door to immediate fundraising opportunities.
The race to succeed Sherrill is moving quickly. Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill and former Rep. Tom Malinowski are already in the race, and Lt. Governor Tahesha Way is expected to announce her candidacy soon. The field includes: Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett, former Obama administration official Cammie Croft; Morris Township Committeeman/former Mayor Jeff Grayzel; Maplewood Township Committeeman/former Mayor Dean Dafis; ex-House staffer Marc Chaaban; Chatham Borough Councilman Justin Strickland, a U.S. Army veteran and ex-Pentagon official; and activist Anna Lee Williams.
Mejia served in President Joe Biden’s administration as deputy director of the Women’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Labor. She is now the co-director of the Center for Popular Democracy, a nonprofit national progressive advocacy group recognized for its community organizing expertise.
Before joining Working Families, Mejia served as political director of SEIU Local 32BJ and as assistant political director at Unite Here! In Chicago. The 48-year-old Elizabeth native became a labor activist after watching her mother, a member of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.
