Feb. 5 primary to fill Mikie Sherrill’s vacant NJ House seat: Meet the candidates

TRENTON - Now that former U.S. House Rep. Mikie Sherrill will serve as New Jersey's next governor, the race is on for who will replace her in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

The backstory:

Sherrill represented New Jersey's 11th Congressional District (NJ-11), which covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, from 2019 to 2025. She resigned after being elected governor in November of last year.

Who is running to replace Sherrill in the US House? 

There are 11 Democrats and one Republican running to replace Sherrill as the representative of New Jersey's 11th congressional district.

JUMP TO:

• Analilia Mejia
• Anna Lee Williams
• Brendan Gill 
• Cammie Croft 
• Jeff Grayzel
• J-L Cauvin 
• Joe Hathaway
• John Bartlett
• Justin Strickland 
• Tahesha Way
• Tom Malinowski
• Zachary Beecher

The 12th Democrat, Maplewood committee member Dean Davis, recently withdrew from the race, but his name will still appear on Democratic primary ballots. New Jersey is a closed primary state, meaning a voter must be registered with a specific party in order to vote for a candidate of that party.

Meet the candidates – Democrats 

John Bartlett 

John Bartlett is a Passaic County commissioner who declares on his campaign website that he's "ready to fight against Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans."

He stands for lowering the property tax rate in the state, balancing New Jersey's budget, supporting small businesses, building new parks and schools and more. 

Analilia Mejia

Analilia Mejia is the director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, and is "running for Congress to make government work for working people," according to her campaign website.

She was the national political director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign and also served under President Joe Biden within the Department of Labor. Mejia was endorsed by Bernie Sanders in November. 

Cammie Croft 

Cammie Croft served as a staffer to President Barack Obama during his time in the White House, according to her campaign website. She "helped pass the Affordable Care Act" during her time with the administration and stands for lowering costs for New Jersey families, investing in clean, affordable energy and "ending corruption" which she says will protect New Jerseyans' tax dollars. 

Tom Malinowski

Tom Malinowski served in the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey's 7th District between 2019 and 2023.

On his campaign website, he says that "Donald Trump has failed and we must succeed." If elected, he aims to repeal Trump's "mindless tariffs," restore clean energy investments and tax credits, enforce antitrust laws, address health care affordability and more. 

Tahesha Way

In Congress, Way plans to lower costs for New Jersey families, make health care more accessible and affordable and "protect our democracy from Donald Trump," according to her campaign website. 

Brendan Gill 

Brendan Gill is an Essex County commissioner "born and raised in Montclair," according to his campaign website.

He's the current chair of the county's Anti-Gun Violence Committee. He aims to obtain more affordable health care for New Jerseyans if elected, improve state infrastructure and transportation options and lower tax rates for small business owners, among other goals. 

Gill was endorsed by outgoing New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy in November. 

Zachary Beecher

Zachary Beecher is a venture capitalist who also served as a U.S. Army paratrooper.

It says on his campaign website that his "mission in Congress will be the same as it has always been"—to serve his community and "solve big problems." Beecher says that he's running for Congress "because Donald Trump and a failed Congress are putting our people and our country at risk." 

Jeff Grayzel

Jeff Grayzel is the deputy mayor of Morris Township.

If elected, his campaign website says he aims to "transform the U.S. from a service economy to an innovation economy to drive new growth." He also plans to tackle rising health insurance premiums, which he declares is the "biggest contributor to the affordability crisis in our country." 

J-L Cauvin 

J-L Cauvin is a comedian who gained his following online by impersonating President Donald Trump when he was first elected in 2016, according to the New Jersey Globe.

In a video posted to his Instagram account announcing his intention to run, he says he stands for implementing congressional term limits, as well as banning stock trading for Congress members. 

Anna Lee Williams

Anna Lee Williams says on her campaign website that she's "running for Congress to represent people who have worked hard their entire lives, paid their taxes and have shown up for their community at every turn."

She attended Rutgers University and is a "self-described community advocate," according to the New Jersey Globe. 

Justin Strickland 

Justin Strickland is a Chatham Borough councilmember and a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq. He also served at the Pentagon as an official.

He stands for making New Jersey housing more affordable, protecting senior citizens, ending predatory financial practices and lowering the cost of college across the state, according to his campaign website. 

Meet the candidate – Republican 

Joe Hathaway

Joe Hathaway is the current mayor of Randolph Township. On his campaign website, he says he's running for Congress because "Washington doesn’t need more show ponies. It needs workhorses ready to get in the trenches."

Hathaway is running unopposed for the Republican nomination to New Jersey's 11th Congressional district seat. 

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