Nearly a dozen Democrats jump into the race for Mikie Sherrill’s House seat

New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill’s victory in this month’s gubernatorial election left behind a now-vacant congressional district — and at least 11 Democrats lined up for the chance to fill it.

Among them is a former congressman who is running to represent another district. from the one he once represented, a county commissioner backed by the sitting governor, a young progressive activist, a lieutenant governor and a handful of local leaders hoping to launch themselves onto the national political stage.

The crowded primary is another micro-level battle in the national debate over the future of the Democratic Party — from who its leaders are, to the policies it puts forward, to what divides its primaries.

On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., set the official date for the April 16 special election. The primaries will take place on February 5.

Murphy, who supported Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, told NBC News on Friday’s nominees represent “a field with a lot of talent, a lot of people we know and admire, but Brendan stands out to me.”

Most of the candidates welcome the big primary in the 11th arrondissement, despite the short distance.

“I’m excited to see the field expand. You know, I think it’s proof that our democracy works,” Gill told NBC News on Friday.

Zach Beecher, a veteran Army paratrooper who is also running in the district’s Democratic primary, told NBC News: “I think voters deserve to have a choice. I think the Democratic Party, and I think this country as a whole, does better when there are more choices in the candidates that they have.”

Beecher, like several other Democratic candidates NBC News spoke with in the district, hopes to position himself as a “political outsider.”

“It would be really hard to find a voter who would tell you that 2026 is probably going to be the year of the insider, right? I think the outsider has had a mandate in a unique way,” Beecher said. “Voters want change. Voters are tired of being sick and tired.”

Morris Township Deputy Mayor Jeff Grayzel also cast himself as an outsider who could fight the GOP agenda, saying it was a requirement for anyone running in the primary.

“I think obviously getting into this race is about fighting for Democrats, fighting against Republicans and saving our democracy. I think that’s an entry point for all of us,” Grayzel said..

“What sets me apart from everyone else is that I did it,” he added, citing the fact that he served as mayor and vice mayor of the most Republican county in the district.

In the recent gubernatorial election, Sherrill carried the three counties – Essex, Morris and Passaic – which have portions in the 11th district, but it won Morris County by the smallest margin.

Anna Lee Williams, 27, a community organizer, also presents herself as an outsider.

“I decided to run for office as a normal person who is really frustrated with where our country is and what it has been for the last 10 years,” she said. “I don’t see a consensus in Washington where I believe our representatives are working toward an exciting, progressive, positive future. And that led me to decide to run for Congress.”

Beecher also cited Sherrill’s success running as a political outsider when she first won the seat in 2018.

Sherrill flipped a Republican seat to the Democrats in what was at the time a competitive district. Since the state redrawn congressional lines after the 2020 census, the district has become more favorable to Democrats. He is now rated a “Solid Democrat” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter.

While a majority of candidates are taking the outside route in this primary, there are two decidedly inside candidates: Gill and former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who served the neighboring 7th District from 2019 to 2023, leaving Congress after a narrow defeat in 2022 to the now GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr.

Gill touted his past work during a series of New Jersey Democratic leaders — the late Rep. Bill Pascrell, former Rep. Steve Rothman, the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Sen. Cory Booker and Murphy — in an interview.

“I’ve been fortunate … to have various roles, to help, to work for Democrats up and down in this area. I’ve done a lot of work in the three counties that this district makes up,” Gill said, adding that he was born and raised in the district and now lives there.

He also highlighted the support of more than 70 local leaders, including mayors from across the district and the four Democratic senators who serve the district.

Malinowski, meanwhile, who has the support of Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., told NBC News: “I’m the only Democrat running in the primary who has represented part of this district and has the experience to be effective.”

He has been criticized for not living in the 11th district, although he has promised to move there if he wins the primary. After the post-2020 redistricting process, parts of Malinowski’s former 7th District were incorporated into the 11th District.

“I work in the district. I teach at Seton Hall University, and I am motivated by the desire to return to the fight as quickly as possible, to resume my seniority in the House as quickly as possible, in order to be effective in a moment of great emergency,” he said.

Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way said she was seriously considering running in the special election and discussed her potential candidacy with Murphy, who she said was encouraging. Way is also New Jersey’s secretary of state, and she said her experience would make her the best person for the job if she ran.

“I am confident that I would be the best person for this position because no other candidate has worked as an educator, served in local government, served as a state judge and has statewide experience serving the great people of New Jersey,” she said.

Way said his top priorities in Congress would be to address affordability and expand access to the ballot box. She said any announcements she plans to make regarding her candidacy will be made soon.

Whether insiders or outsiders, nearly every Democratic candidate NBC News spoke with agreed that the district needs someone committed to cutting costs and standing up to President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“I would like to focus on how we are going to help contain costs,” Gills said, adding, “And at the same time, we have to stand up to Trump, period.”

Malinowski promised to do so if elected, saying, “I think even under these circumstances a House can do more to oversee Trump’s tariff policy.” »

Cammie Croft, a former Obama White House staffer who touted her role in passing the Affordable Care Act, said her goals in Congress would be to lower costs for families and end corruption in Washington, which she said contributes to low affordability.

“This administration is the most corrupt in modern history. They are getting richer at our expense, which increases costs for us and working families,” Croft said, adding that she would take the decision to end stock trading to Congress and the White House if elected.

Beecher highlighted threats Trump made Thursday against Democratic lawmakers who are veterans and former intelligence officers after posting a video calling on military and intelligence officers to disobey illegal orders.

“This is not healthy in a democracy, and Trump must be challenged,” he said.

Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett said, “Donald Trump is all about self-service, enriching himself and his cronies while the rest of us struggle to get by. I’m in public service and, more importantly, I’m ready for the fight ahead.”

He later added in an interview: “The Trump administration’s policies have had a massive impact on the ability of families to survive at every economic level in this district. »

Murphy pointed to Sherrill’s recent success as a prime example of campaigning well for New Jersey, saying candidates “universal in all races in the short term” should focus on “affordability, infrastructure, getting a Gateway project, fighting in Washington and not looking back.”