Democrat Analilia Mejia will win House special election in New Jersey, CNN projects, further narrowing GOP majority | CNN Politics

Analilia Mejia has won a special election in New Jersey’s 11th District, allowing Democrats to further narrow Republicans’ razor-thin majority in the US House. Mejia will defeat Republican Joe Hathaway, a member of the Randolph Township council. She will fill the remainder of the term for the seat Mikie Sherrill vacated after being elected New Jersey governor in November. After winning a crowded primary in February, Mejia was heavily favored in a district where there are about 65,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, according to the state’s Department of Elections. Mejia united most of the Democratic Party behind her, including former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who ran in the primary and lost after facing a barrage of spending from a group linked to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Her win is a boon for progressives, notably Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who endorsed her after she was national political director for his 2020 presidential campaign. It also shrinks House Speaker Mike Johnson’s majority. When Mejia is sworn in, Johnson will only be able to afford a single GOP defection on party-line votes and still pass legislation. The partisan breakdown will