Progressive Democrat Analilia Mejia wins New Jersey special election for US House

Victory means Democrats hold on to the 11th district seat in the House, where Republicans hold a thin majority Democrat Analilia Mejia won a New Jersey special election for the US House on Thursday, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway on a message of standing up to Donald Trump. Mejia, a former head of the Working Families Alliance who had support from Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator, will fill the seat previously held by Mikie Sherrill, the state’s Democratic governor, and serve until January. Her victory is a win for progressives and means Democrats hold on to the 11th district seat in the House, where Republicans hold a thin majority. It also adds to a string of victories for Democrats heading into this year’s midterm elections. The Associated Press called the race for Mejia minutes after the polls closed. Mejia emerged from a crowded primary in February and cast the race as a test of Trump’s leadership. She criticized his pardons of people convicted of January 6-related crimes and faulted him for freezing funds authorized by Congress. “The people here are ready to do something about it,” she said recently. “We’re not here to write strongly worded letters. Congress has real po