Analilia Mejia will win the endorsement of the Essex County Democrats unopposed at their March 21 convention, yet another sign of Democratic consolidation behind her in the wake of her special Democratic primary victory in the 11th congressional district.
Mejia, who will go up against Republican Joe Hathaway in the district’s April 16 special election, faces the prospect of a potential primary challenge for a full term in June. Former Lieutenant Gov. Tahesha Way, the third-place finisher in the special primary, is considering running again, and there has more broadly been chatter among moderate Democrats about whether to mount an effort to stop the more progressive Mejia.
None of those would-be challengers, however, have made any public moves towards a campaign, and key deadlines are now flying by. Earlier this month, Democrats in Passaic County – Way’s home and political base – endorsed Mejia after no one else screened for their support, and Essex Democrats’ deadline similarly passed this afternoon without any rival filings.
At their December 2 convention for the special primary to succeed Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Essex Democrats endorsed Brendan Gill, a local county commissioner with strong connections in the county. Mejia technically received just 1% of the vote, though that total was skewed by the fact that she and other Democrats urged their supporters to vote “abstain” in an effort to stop Gill.
Following her special primary victory, however, Mejia quickly began to consolidate support in Essex, earning endorsements from Gill and from nearly every member of the state’s Democratic congressional delegation. She was also endorsed by Essex Democratic Chair LeRoy Jones, which likely would have ensured her Essex Democrats’ official backing even if she had faced any convention foes; Essex County makes up a slight majority of the 11th district’s Democratic primary electorate.
Similarly set to win the Essex Democratic endorsement unopposed are Reps. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) and Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City). McIver has no declared primary opponents in her bid for a second full term, but Menendez is facing a challenge from Mussab Ali, the former president of the Jersey City Board of Education; Ali is running an explicitly anti-establishment campaign, so it’s not a huge surprise for him to skip out on the county convention process.
Senator Cory Booker will have one challenger in Chris Fields, a former Hunterdon Democratic official attempting to run as a progressive alternative to the senator.
The real drama at the Essex convention, however, will come in the races for county office, where five out of nine county commissioners are retiring and where no fewer than 12 candidates have signed up to run for four at-large seats.
