New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill delivers remarks at her election night watch party on Nov. 4, 2025, in East Brunswick, New Jersey. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images)
The election comes as Democrats secured gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia and passed Proposition 50 in California this year, allowing the state to move forward with a new congressional map that is expected to add up to five Democratic-leaning districts.
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Murphy has already endorsed Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, touting his commitment to affordability and protecting "freedoms" in the fight against Trump. As the Essex County commissioner-at-large, Gill represents 22 towns in Essex County, and according to his campaign website, is committed to "taking on tough fights and delivering results that make our communities stronger, safer, and fairer."
While Gill has secured a coveted endorsement from the outgoing governor, Democratic voters in New Jersey's 11th will have 12 more candidates to choose from in February.
Progressive star Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has also thrown his hat in the ring to endorse the national political director of his 2020 presidential campaign, Analilia Mejia.
Former Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-N.J., participated in a rally on the House steps of the U.S. Capitol on May 13, 2022. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Outgoing Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way is also in the running for New Jersey's 11th. The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association has endorsed Way, spotlighting her commitment to "expanding opportunity and delivering results."
Way has also served as New Jersey’s secretary of state and was the first Black person and first secretary of New Jersey to lead the National Association of Secretaries of State as president.
Meanwhile, Chatham Councilman Justin Strickland, a U.S. Army veteran, Bronze Star recipient and former U.S. Pentagon official, is also competing for the Democratic nomination.
Strickland has centered his campaign on affordability — the winning issue in the past two election cycles.
"Our campaign revolves around one simple principle: ensuring everybody has the economic liberty to fulfill the American Dream," Strickland said on his campaign website.
Another Democratic candidate, Anna Lee Williams, is an activist who, according to her campaign website, has spent the past decade in the "nonprofit and private sectors bringing people together around causes that matter to them."
Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey votes on Election Day, in Montclair, New Jersey, on Nov. 4, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Her priorities in Congress are "lowering costs for families, ending corruption, and building a stronger, fairer economy that works for everyone," according to Croft's campaign website.
Marc Chaaban, a former congressional staffer for Sherrill, is seeking to replace his former boss in the office he once served.
Reflecting the sentiment of his fellow Gen Z activists and politicos, the 25-year-old said "too many Democrats in Washington are asleep at the wheel" and the moment "demands a different kind of politics."
His commitments include rejecting Trump's agenda, banning members of Congress from stock trading, prohibiting corporate PAC money in elections and investigating the "Trump-Epstein cover-up."
Dean Dafis, a Maplewood township committeeman and the former mayor of Maplewood, said he is committed to making New Jersey's 11th a more affordable place to live for working-class families. Per his campaign website, he is a civil rights advocate and the first openly LGBTQ representative on the Maplewood Township Committee.
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Finally, J.L. Cauvin is a community advocate, lawyer and comedian competing for the Democratic nomination. He is running on protecting seniors, making housing more affordable, leading on artificial intelligence, protecting democracy, banning stock trading and applying term limits in Congress.
The lone Republican candidate is Joe Hathaway, who is currently the mayor of Randolph Township and began his political career as an aide to former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-free-for-all-engulfs-nj-13-contenders-scramble-sherrills-house-seat-ahead-pivotal-2026-fight