Progressive Democrat Analilia Mejia faces Republican Joe Hathaway in Thursday's special election for New Jersey's 11th Congressional District. The race to replace Mikie Sherrill, who vacated the seat after winning the governor's race, will determine who serves the remaining eight months of her House term. The district heavily favors Democrats, with 65,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans.

Mejia narrowly won the Democratic primary by approximately 1,000 votes after a contentious race where the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent heavily against her primary opponent, Tom Malinowski. Mejia, who called Israel's actions in Gaza a genocide, benefited from the negative ads against Malinowski, which many Jewish leaders saw as a miscalculation by AIPAC.

Hathaway, a Trump supporter, has tried to distance himself from the president while still acknowledging his influence. The race has become a test of progressive vs. conservative values in a suburban district, with Mejia positioning herself as a check on Trump administration policies. The outcome may provide early indications of voter sentiment ahead of November's midterm elections, where control of Congress will be decided.