TRENTON — Former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski conceded Tuesday in the closely watched Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, but made clear he believes his loss was driven less by voters and more by what he called a “massive flood of dark money” from a powerful pro-Israel lobbying group.

Malinowski congratulated apparent winner Analilia Mejia, a progressive activist backed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., as vote counting continues in the special election to replace Gov. Mikie Sherrill. While the Associated Press has not formally called the race, Mejia has steadily expanded her lead since Election Night.

Vote margin grows as ballots continue to be counted

As of Tuesday morning, Mejia led Malinowski by 889 votes, 18,584 to 17,695, according to updated tallies, a margin that has widened with each new batch of mail-in ballots.

Thousands of ballots across Essex, Morris and Passaic counties remain eligible to be counted, but election officials say Mejia’s advantage has consistently grown rather than narrowed.

The winner of the April 16 special general election will be heavily favored in the Democratic-leaning district.

Malinowski targets AIPAC and “dark money” in concession statement

In his concession, Malinowski placed direct blame on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which spent more than $2 million on attack ads against him in the final weeks of the race.

“The outcome of this race cannot be understood without also taking into account the massive flood of dark money that AIPAC spent on dishonest ads,” Malinowski said.

He said the ads focused on his past votes related to ICE funding and stock trading, and claimed they left voters confused about where he stood politically.

“I met several voters in the final days of the campaign who had seen the ads and asked me, sincerely: ‘Are you MAGA? Are you for ICE?’” Malinowski said.

Former congressman vows to oppose any AIPAC-backed challenger in June

While Malinowski said he will support Mejia in the April special general election against Republican Joe Hathaway, he issued a warning ahead of the June Democratic primary, when Mejia must run for a full two-year term.

“If AIPAC backs a candidate — openly or surreptitiously — in the June NJ-11 congressional primary, I will oppose that candidate and urge my supporters to do so as well,” Malinowski said.

He argued that the influence of outside spending poses a larger threat to democracy than disagreements over Middle East policy.

Mejia consolidates progressive support after upset win

Mejia, 48, ran as the most left-leaning candidate in the crowded field and secured endorsements from Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

A former director of the Working Families Alliance in New Jersey, Mejia, is a well-known figure in state politics, advocating for progressive causes. She was Sanders’ political director during his 2020 presidential run, and served as deputy director of the Labor Department’s Women’s Bureau under President Joe Biden.

Mejia would face Republican Joe Hathaway, who was unopposed in his primary, in the special general election April 16.

Other leading Democrats who sought the nomination were Brendan Gill, an elected commissioner in Essex County, and Tahesha Way, who was lieutenant governor and secretary of state for two terms until last month.

Also on the ballot were John Bartlett, Zach Beecher, J-L Cauvin, Marc Chaaban, Cammie Croft, Dean Dafis, Jeff Grayzel, Justin Strickland and Anna Lee Williams.

The district covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey, including some of New York City’s wealthier suburbs.

Sherrill represented the district for four terms after her 2018 election. She won despite the region’s historical loyalty to the Republican Party, a dynamic that began to shift during President Donald Trump’s first term.

NJ voter turnout by county in the 2025 gubernatorial election

We list the state’s 21 counties by voter turnout — the percentage of registered voters who cast a ballot in the 2025 election. Each county entry includes the turnout for each municipality listed in alphabetical order, and the candidate who won the most votes in each town and county. We also list the percentage of ballots that were mail-in.

Gallery Credit: New Jersey 101.5