Former Rep. Tom Malinowski conceded the special election primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District to activist Analilia Mejia.
Malinowski was seen as a more centrist establishment candidate, with his defeat marking another triumph for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He congratulated Mejia on her “hard-won victory,” and said he would support her in the April general election.
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His statement was notable for condemning the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, blaming its “massive flood of dark money” on “dishonest ads” in large part for the outcome.
Mejia posted a GIF of pop star Bad Bunny emotionally reacting to winning a Grammy award in response.
The race was notable both for representing the latest episode in the power struggle between the centrist and progressive wings of the Democratic Party, and the crowded field — Mejia and Malinowski led a pack of 11 candidates vying for the special election seat.
The race also featured several false alarms. Decision Desk HQ initially called the race in favor of Malinowski on Thursday evening just before 9 p.m., while the Democratic National Committee also issued a congratulatory statement to Malinowski, saying he “clinched victory.” The election forecaster rescinded its projection just an hour and a half later, citing a surge in same-day votes for Mejia in Morris County, where Malinowski was expected to perform the best.
“As the night progressed, margins in Morris County quickly tilted toward Mejia; Mejia began winning drops by 20%-30%, representing a swing of 65 points compared to the absentee vote,” Decision Desk HQ wrote on X. “This trend reversal prompted us to re-examine our race projection and ultimately retract it.”
Despite Malinowski being a centrist and Mejia being more critical of Israel, AIPAC made a surprise move in the race by aiming to sabotage the centrist’s campaign after he criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
AIPAC poured over $2.3 million into ads attacking Malinowski in the primary cycle, despite its previous support for him.
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Malinowski didn’t take this lightly, vowing in his admission of defeat statement that he would support any candidate who was against AIPAC.
Mejia served as political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-VT) 2020 presidential campaign before serving in the Biden administration. She racked up major progressive Democrat endorsements, including from her 2020 boss and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).