A special election will be held on April 16, 2026, to fill the vacant seat in New Jersey's 11th congressional district. The winner will serve in the United States House of Representatives for the remainder of the 119th United States Congress.
The seat became vacant on November 20, 2025, when Mikie Sherrill resigned to become the governor of New Jersey. Outgoing governor Phil Murphy announced the special election scheduled for April 16, 2026. Early voting for the general election will take place during a nine-day period (April 6 to April 14). Voters will have the option to cast their votes by mail.
Primary elections were held on February 5, 2026. Analilia Mejia, co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, won the Democratic nomination. Randolph councilman and former mayor Joe Hathaway was uncontested and thus won the Republican nomination.
Spending by AIPAC against former U.S. Representative Tom Malinowski became a major issue in the primary. Although Malinowski identified as a pro-Israel Democrat, the group funded negative advertising after he declined to unconditionally support foreign military aid. The ads may have inadvertently boosted eventual nominee Analilia Mejia, who has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Following his defeat, Malinowski sharply criticized AIPAC, calling its campaign âÂÂdishonestâ and pledging to oppose any AIPAC-backed challenger to Mejia in the June primary for the full term.
Mejia has called for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has advocated resistance to what she describes as âÂÂrising authoritarianism.âÂÂ
The Associated Press and The New York Times called the race for Mejia on February 12, 2026, defeating Malinowski and former Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way.