Analilia Mejia’s Abolish‑ICE Platform Gains Edge in NJ‑11 Democratic Primary
In the Feb. 6 special Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th District, progressive Analilia Mejia — backed by national figures including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and AOC — has taken a razor-thin 486‑vote lead over former Rep. Tom Malinowski out of roughly 61,000 counted, though the race remains too close to call as unprocessed and postmarked mail ballots are still being tallied. Mejia’s campaign, which explicitly calls to “abolish ICE now” and has seized on recent fatal immigration‑enforcement incidents, has energized the left amid a splintered establishment field and heavy outside spending (over $4 million overall, including more than $2 million of AIPAC activity), with the primary winner set to face Republican Joe Hathaway in an April 16 special general in a blue-leaning district.
📌 Key Facts
- The special Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District was held Thursday, Feb. 6, 2026; a special general election is set for April 16, 2026. The district covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties and leans Democratic (Sherrill won 56% in 2024; Kamala Harris carried it with 53%).
- Leading Democratic contenders included Analilia Mejia (labor activist, former Bernie Sanders political director and head of New Jersey Working Families Alliance), former Rep. Tom Malinowski, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way and Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill.
- With roughly 61,000 votes reported the night of the primary, Mejia led Malinowski by 486 votes (a razor‑thin margin) and the race was too early to call — all three counties still had unprocessed mail‑in ballots (some postmarked by election day can arrive through the following Wednesday).
- Malinowski performed better on the counted mail‑in ballots while Mejia gained ground on election‑day votes, leaving the outcome dependent on outstanding mail ballots.
- Mejia has explicitly called to “abolish ICE now,” saying “You can’t reform it. It’s not fixable. Get it out.” Her stance has been tied to voter backlash over recent ICE and Border Patrol killings in Minnesota (Renee Good and Alex Pretti), making immigration enforcement a central issue in the contest.
- Mejia is backed by major national progressives — including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez — as well as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Rep. Ro Khanna; progressive groups like Justice Democrats have framed her performance as evidence the progressive wing is ascendant.
- Outside groups have spent heavily in the race (more than $4 million on TV, mail and digital); AIPAC alone spent over $2 million attacking Malinowski and the splintered establishment support (including apparent favoring of Way) helped open space for Mejia.
- The Democratic primary winner will face Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the unopposed Republican nominee, in the April 16 special general — he is viewed as an underdog in the district — and national Democrats are watching nervously, calling NJ‑11 a potential test of progressive challenges to traditional Democrats in 2026.
📰 Source Timeline (8)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 09, 2026
5:14 PM
Where Sanders and AOC backed progressive congressional candidate Analilia Mejia stands on key issues
New information:
- Confirms Mejia has publicly and explicitly called to “abolish ICE now,” saying “You can’t reform it. It’s not fixable. Get it out.”
- Highlights that Mejia is tying her stance on ICE directly to voter backlash over fatal ICE and Border Patrol shootings in Minnesota and other high‑profile enforcement incidents.
- Quotes Mejia describing the economy as “rigged to suit the billionaires” and calling for rebuilding the Democratic Party and “reclaiming our democracy,” further defining her economic and institutional message.
- Includes Rep. Ro Khanna’s endorsement framing Mejia as representing a “progressive populist economic agenda” and “the future.”
February 06, 2026
10:50 PM
The left smells blood after shock Democratic primary result
New information:
- Progressive leaders and groups like Justice Democrats are explicitly framing Mejia’s performance as evidence that the 'progressive wing is ascendant' and the base wants new, working‑class leaders.
- Multiple unnamed House Democrats — including a senior member and a moderate from a swing district — say colleagues are 'freaking out' about their own primaries and acknowledge 'progressive anti‑establishment energy.'
- Democrats like Rep. Mark Pocan and others are casting the result as a referendum on AIPAC’s heavy spending, arguing this is the 'first real test of their money' and advising colleagues to avoid AIPAC support.
- The article details how AIPAC spent more than $2 million attacking Malinowski after previously backing him, while apparently favoring former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, and how this splintered establishment field opened space for Mejia.
- National progressives point to a broader 2026 map of primaries against incumbents such as Ed Case, Stephen Lynch and Doris Matsui, and open seats like IL‑9 with Kat Abughazaleh, as follow‑on tests of whether NJ‑11 is a fluke or a trend.
11:49 AM
Ballot box shocker: Progressive backed by Sanders, AOC on verge of upset in Dem congressional primary
New information:
- Fox reports Mejia leads Malinowski by 486 votes out of more than 61,000 counted, specifying the margin size already implied as 'razor-thin' in prior coverage.
- The piece emphasizes that Malinowski was broadly considered the front‑runner heading into primary day, underscoring the upset narrative around Mejia’s current edge.
- Article reaffirms that Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway is the sole Republican on the ballot for the April 16 special general election and will be an underdog in the blue-leaning district.
7:21 AM
New Jersey's special Democratic primary too early to call
New information:
- The February 6, 2026 special Democratic primary is now too early to call, with about 61,000 votes counted.
- Analilia Mejia leads Tom Malinowski by only 486 votes, less than one percentage point.
- All three counties still have unprocessed mail‑in ballots, and additional mail ballots postmarked by election day can arrive through Wednesday and be counted.
- Malinowski has performed better than Mejia on the mail‑in ballots counted so far, while Mejia has gained ground on election‑day votes.
- The Democratic winner will face Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, who won the GOP primary unopposed, in the April 16 special general election.
February 05, 2026
7:13 PM
What a crowded congressional primary in N.J. says about the state of Democrats
New information:
- Analilia Mejia, a labor activist and head of New Jersey Working Families Alliance, has emerged as a leading progressive contender and is explicitly calling for ICE to be abolished, saying 'You can't reform that. It's not fixable.'
- Mejia is backed by major national progressives including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, as well as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, and is framing the race as a referendum on 'weak' Democrats in the face of 'authoritarianism' and 'state‑sanctioned violence.'
- Former Rep. Tom Malinowski is running as an establishment comeback candidate with Sen. Andy Kim’s endorsement, arguing his prior House experience and familiarity with Trump make him the best partner for Kim in Washington.
- The piece explicitly notes that, after the ICE and Border Patrol killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, immigration enforcement has become a central issue in the NJ‑11 special, making this one of the first 2026 contests to test far‑left versus more traditional Democratic immigration messages.
3:58 PM
A dozen vie for Democratic nomination in N.J. special congressional primary
New information:
- Confirms the special Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District is being held Thursday, Feb. 6, 2026, with a special general election on April 16.
- Names leading Democratic contenders as former Rep. Tom Malinowski, former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill and Analilia Mejia, former political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
- Specifies that outside groups have spent more than $4 million on TV, mail and digital ads in the race.
- Restates that the district covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties and that Sherrill won 56% in 2024 while Kamala Harris carried it with 53%.