New Jersey swing seat could tilt the House balance as Mejia faces Hathaway

In New Jersey’s 11th District, Democrat Analilia Mejia faces Republican Joe Hathaway in a high-stakes special election to fill Mikie Sherrill’s seat. Democrats hold a sizable registration edge, Mejia is backed by the party establishment and figures like Bernie Sanders, while Hathaway markets himself as a moderate. A Mejia win would shrink the already razor-thin House GOP majority and influence the party’s agenda in Congress, with the race also serving as a preview ahead of June primaries for a full two-year term. National attention has been drawn by pro-Israel groups’ involvement in the district’s earlier contest, underscoring the race’s wider implications.