WASHINGTON — Former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) conceded defeat Tuesday to Analilia Mejia in a special House Democratic primary upset that has prompted celebrations from the far left.
Malinowski was favored to win the Feb. 5 race for the nomination to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill in the House of Representatives, but was the subject of heavy spending on attack ads — including from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
“I congratulate Analilia Mejia on her hard won victory in the NJ-11 special primary,” Malinowski said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting her in the April general election. It is essential that we send a Democrat to Washington to fill this seat, not a rubber stamp for Trump.”
Former Rep. Tom Malinowski conceded defeat to Analilia Mejia in a special Democratic primary upset. APMejia, a former top adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2020 presidential campaign who is endorsed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), will face Republican Joe Hathaway in the April 16 special election for the right to serve out Sherrill’s term.
The Garden State’s 11th District, a former Republican stronghold that has shifted left since Trump’s victory in 2016, is been rated solidly Democratic by election handicapper The Cook Political Report.
Malinowski, who represented the neighboring 7th District from 2019 through 2023, had been so heavily favored to win the special primary that multiple outlets erroneously projected him as the winner on the night.
At the time of his concession, Malinowski trailed Mejia by 889 votes out of nearly 64,000 cast and with an estimated 4,800 ballots left to count.
In addition to AIPAC, Malinowski had to contend with negative ads from other outside groups — such as United Democracy Project, which spent some $2.3 million to take him down.
Analilia Mejia (center), a former top adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, will face Republican Joe Hathaway in the April 16 special election for the right to serve out Sherrill’s term. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
“I congratulate Analilia Mejia on her hard won victory in the NJ-11 special primary,” Malinowski said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting her in the April general election. It is essential that we send a Democrat to Washington to fill this seat, not a rubber stamp for Trump.” AP“I wish I could say today that this effort, which was meant to intimidate Democrats across the country, failed,” Malinowski lamented. “But it did not.”“The threat unlimited dark money poses to our democracy is far more significant than the views of a single member of Congress on Middle East policy.”
Eleven candidates had vied in the crowded Democratic primary. Mejia (29.1% of the vote) and Malinowski (27.7%) were followed by former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way (17.4%) and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill (14.3%)
No other candidate received more than 2.7% support.
