The race to fill a vacant, safely blue House seat in New Jersey has set off an expensive competition between different interest groups, political figures and cash-flush super PACs to shape the future of the Democratic Party this year — one district at a time.
The Democratic primary to succeed Gov. Mikie Sherrill in Congress has attracted 11 candidates from across the ideological spectrum and various levels of politics, including an ex-lieutenant governor, a former congressman, a grassroots activist and a handful of local politicians.
It has also seen nearly $6 million of spending from outside groups and numerous endorsements from prominent figures with an interest in who will next represent this slice of North Jersey. The primary winner could potentially represent this district, which Kamala Harris carried by 9 points in 2024, for as long as they want, giving power to one faction or another of the Democratic caucus in the House. The winner could eventually run for higher office in the future, too, like Sherrill.
The same dynamics are set to shape dozens of open primaries throughout the country this midterm election year. For now, voters in the district are excited to have their say, said Mara Novak and Judy Kelly, the co-executive directors of grassroots group NJ 11th For Change.
“I think in our district specifically, and in a timeframe that feels pretty bleak on the national stage, that folks here are like, ‘Wait a minute. We can elect somebody who does reflect us,’” Kelly said.
Former Rep. Tom Malinowski, progressive activist Analilia Mejia, Essex County commissioner Brendan Gill, Passaic County commissioner John Bartlett and former Army paratrooper Zach Beecher lead the pack in fundraising. Polls close at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, with the Democratic primary winner set to face Republican Joe Hathaway, who is unopposed for his nomination.
Malinowski has been at the center of much of the advertising, both for and against.
United Democracy Project, a super PAC aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent almost $2.3 million on television and digital ads, mailers and phone banking to oppose Malinowski, a longtime supporter of Israel and former recipient of money from AIPAC, according to data from the Federal Election Commission.
A UDP spokesperson told The New York Times that the group opposes Malinowski because he supports conditions on U.S. aid for Israel. But the advertising is focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, criticizing Malinowski for voting to fund the agency as part of a bipartisan, governmentwide spending bill in 2019. Malinowski said Tuesday he would oppose the Department of Homeland Security funding bill that is now before the Senate.
Gill piled on in an ad accusing Malinowski of profiting off the Covid pandemic.
Malinowski has received a more than $700,000 boost from The 218 Project super PAC and has raised on his own more than $1.6 million, more than any other candidate.
The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association’s PAC has also spent more than $1.6 million in advertising to support former New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, according to the tracking firm AdImpact. Way has lagged behind opponents in fundraising.
The ads paint her as the “proven way to beat Trump,” a reference to her legal battles with the president when she was New Jersey’s secretary of state. The Trump campaign sued Way in 2020, seeking to block her from sending mail ballots to every registered voter in New Jersey, but Way and the state won in federal court.
Way has also received a $350,000 boost from the mysterious Article One Inc. super PAC, which was formed a little more than a week ago and has only received a single donation from the Guzman Foundation. The super PAC is affiliated with a joint fundraising committee called Article One Victory, which is fully funded by the billionaire financier Robert Granieri.
Meanwhile, the veterans-focused PAC VoteVets on Tuesday unleashed a $300,000 ad campaign in support of Beecher, according to AdImpact. The ad promotes him as a problem-solver who will oppose Trump’s tariffs and foreign military actions.
The race has seen a slew of endorsements from state and national figures. Former Gov. Phil Murphy endorsed Gill, talking up his commitment to protecting freedoms and lowering costs, while Sen. Andy Kim is backing Malinowski and touting his two previous terms in Congress. Mejia earned the backing of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
“She’s a great organizer, and in Washington right now we don’t just need Democrats, we need progressive Democrats who are prepared to stand up and fight,” Sanders said of Mejia.
Sherrill has not picked sides in the primary to succeed her.
