Randolph Township Mayor Joe Hathaway is the only Republican running to replace Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
"People want someone who is going to put the political nonsense aside and get to work. That's what I represent, so I think that is going to be an attractive offer for Republicans, for independents, for Democrats, for voters across the board," Hathaway added.
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The Republican candidate pointed to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's success in neighboring New York City as an indication that "younger, more progressive leaders of their party [are] moving the Democratic Party toward socialism, toward anti-law enforcement, toward antisemitism, toward bigger government, a bigger system that is still broken."
But Hathaway said that "centrist, moderate" Democratic voters and those of New Jersey's 11th Congressional District do not seek that future, drawing a "clear, stark contrast" with his own Republican campaign.
"At the end of the day, voters are going to have to make a decision between which next generation they want representing them," he said. "I'm trying to represent the next generation of the Republican Party — one built on hard work, on pragmatic common sense solutions to help people to make life better."
Large crowds gather on the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey, on May 11, 2024, ahead of President Donald Trump's remarks. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
The Republican also committed to finding ways to "incentivize roles that equip workers for the jobs of today and for the jobs of tomorrow," through vocational training and other "in-demand, highly valuable skills that don't necessarily require all the student loan debt."
"By the way, it's probably going to be something you hear on the other side as well. But I think on the other side, their solutions are going to be more government, more dependency, more government, more, more of the same broken system, which I fundamentally disagree with, and I think most voters do, too," he said.
The special primary election is set for Feb. 5, 2026, and the special general election will be held on April 16, 2026.
Next year's midterm elections will serve as a litmus test of President Donald Trump's sweeping, second-term agenda and will determine whether Republicans maintain control of the House and Senate. New Jersey's special election will be one of several pulse checks before November's elections decide the congressional balance of power.
When asked how Trump's endorsement would play out in the Garden State, Hathaway said, "I want Republicans of all shapes, colors, sizes across the board. We're a big-tent party, so we're going to need all Republicans rowing in the same direction to win this seat and to win this special election on April 16th."
President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law at the White House on July 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
But the Republican said his first priority is to represent the voters of his district. And while he applauded Trump's "big, beautiful bill" for raising New Jersey's State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap and increasing the childcare tax credits, Hathaway clarified that if "there are things that I don't support that aren't good for our district, I'll come out and say that, too."
The New Jersey Globe reported in July that a bipartisan group of 13 New Jersey representatives and senators sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, expressing "grave concern" over a proposed shake-up to Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, New Jersey.
"I know the administration is contemplating the idea of shuttering Picatinny Arsenal, a big military base here in our district here in Morris County. I vehemently disagree with that. I think that would be bad for our national defense. I think it would be bad for the thousands of citizen employees and contractors who work in the Picatinny Arsenal, who are creating the next generation of artillery and military intelligence materials," he said.
Ultimately, Hathaway said he is committed to advocating for what's best for the voters of his district, even if that means being at odds with the administration on a proposal or specific issue that impacts New Jersey.
Randolph Township Mayor Joe Hathaway is the only Republican in the special election for New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, while 12 Democrats are vying for their party's nomination. (Hathaway Campaign)
"Our campaign is going to be something that is attractive to voters of all persuasions because of what we are representing, which is someone who is here to roll up their sleeves, do the work, who doesn't really quite frankly care about what the political winds are swirling around. It's about doing the job," he said.
"I'm still a football player at heart. I'm still a nose guard at heart who just runs in the trenches and tries to make things happen and do the job, so that's the kind of mentality I'm going to bring to the seat, and I think that's something that, quite frankly, voters across the board want to see in their representative," Hathaway said.
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Hathaway was born and raised in New Jersey, where he currently serves as mayor of Randolph Township. He graduated from Yale University, where he played football and earned All-Ivy League honors. He began his political career as an aide to former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., and currently manages executive communications and operations in the healthcare industry.
Thirteen Democratic candidates qualified for the primary ballot in the race for Sherrill's open congressional seat following her gubernatorial win.
Marc Chaaban, a former congressional staffer for Sherrill, dropped out of the race earlier this week, bringing the tally as of Friday to 12 Democrats vying for the party's nomination.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/lone-republican-candidate-finds-his-edge-dozen-democrats-clash-race-replace-mikie-sherrill