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4 min read
● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Who is Analilia Mejia, the upstart candidate who just shook N.J. politics to its core?

Mejia won the Democratic primary and will face Republican nominee Joe Hathaway in the special general election.

Who is Analilia Mejia, the upstart candidate who just shook N.J. politics to its core?
Image · Yahoo News

SOURCE CHECK

TAP FOR WHY
Host credibilityYahoo News74/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 10, 2026

Credibility rates Yahoo News, which republished this story. The other scores rate the article itself.

Republished with credit

Republished from NJ.com, with credit to the original publisher.

NJ.com78/100 HIGH

19 stories · 76–80 · updated Oct 11, 2026

This is NJ.com's own score, and this article is credited to NJ.com. The host score in the Source Check is Yahoo News's.

Yahoo Newsvia NJ.com
Feb 10, 2026
tl;dr

Analilia Mejia won the special Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, defeating former Rep. Tom Malinowski and becoming the party’s nominee for the April 16 special election. The article profiles her background, progressive platform and campaign.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
How does this story look for
Analilia Mejia D · NJ-11
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Mejia in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Mejia’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

SWIPE →
Analilia Mejia
D · NJ-11

Democratic nominee in the special primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District

PRIMARY SUBJECT

Republican nominee for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District

Bernie Sanders
I · VT · SEN

Senator who endorsed Mejia and joined a campaign rally

Mikie Sherrill
Former U.S. Representative (D-NJ)

Democratic governor who vacated the House seat after her election

Tom Malinowski
Former U.S. Representative (D-NJ)

Former representative and defeated candidate in the Democratic primary

Representative who endorsed Mejia

Elizabeth Warren
D · MA · SEN

Senator who endorsed Mejia

ALSO MENTIONED  Ras Baraka, Newark mayor who backed Mejia; Zohran Mamdani, Political figure used as a comparison for Mejia’s candidacy

Part of a bigger story

13 OUTLETS
Analilia Mejia Wins New Jersey 11th District Special Democratic Primary

Analilia Mejia narrowly led Tom Malinowski in the special Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District as ballots were still being counted. Center outlets connect the close count to outside spending and AIPAC’s influence, with later coverage also profiling Mejia’s progressive platform after her win. Right-leaning outlets emphasize the narrow, unresolved count and the withdrawal of early projections.

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