Analilia Mejía

Political Party: Democratic

District: New Jersey's 11th Congressional District

Position: U.S. Representative

Analilia Mejía was born on August 19, 1977, and is an American politician and activist. She recently took the oath of office as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district in April 2026, following a special election victory. She won the special election by defeating Republican Joe Hathaway and is set to face him again in the November 2026 full-term elections.

Political Experience

Mejía has an extensive background in progressive activism and political organizing:

• 2012: Served as the Latino/Labor Vote Director for incumbent Senator Bob Menendez's Senate campaign in New Jersey
• 2014–2019: Served as executive director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, an affiliate of the Working Families Party
• 2016: Served as a delegate for Bernie Sanders during the Democratic presidential primary
• 2019–2020: Served as national political director for Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign
• Biden Administration: Worked in the United States Department of Labor
• Center for Popular Democracy: Served as co-director of this nonprofit progressive advocacy group

Mejía considers herself a progressive Democrat and has campaigned on themes of democracy, opposing oligarchy, and creating an economy that works for working people. She ran for the seat after Mikie Sherrill, the incumbent representative, was elected governor of New Jersey.