NJ-11: Joe Hathaway (R), Analilia Mejia (D) clash in only debate before NJ special House election
The front-runners competing to represent New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District in a special election in two weeks clashed during their only debate before voters determine who should fill the vacant House seat previously held by Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
Democrat Analilia Mejia, a longtime labor organizer and former director of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, and Republican Joe Hathaway, a councilman in Randolph, sparred for just over an hour in the virtual debate organized by the New Jersey Globe.
The two argued on issues ranging from health care costs to the war in Gaza to escalating immigration enforcement, with each often attacking the other’s record and fitness for office.
Hathaway said his opponent is too far left for the district — one of the wealthiest in the country — and called Mejia a socialist, a label she denied when asked by debate moderators. Mejia, meanwhile, often mentioned that Hathaway voted three times for President Donald Trump, suggesting the councilman is trying to appear more independent than he is.
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2026/04/01/joe-hathaway-analilia-mejia-special-house-election-debate/