Republican seeks blue-state breakthrough, distances from Trump while taking aim at 'socialist'

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Joe Hathaway, the Republican in Thursday’s special congressional election in New Jersey, charges that his Democratic rival Analilia Mejia is running on ‘far left-wing ideology.' RANDOLPH, N.J. — As he works to flip a vacant U.S. House seat in a blue-leaning district in northern New Jersey, Republican Joe Hathaway is not shy about pointing out where he disagrees with President Donald Trump, even as he charges that his Democratic rival is too far to the left. "I'm going to call balls and strikes in this race. I'm not going to be a rubber stamp for anybody," Hathaway said in a Fox News Digital interview this week, when asked about Trump. Hathaway is facing off against Democrat Analilia Mejia, who is backed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of neighboring New York, in Thursday's special election in