Mejia gets NJEA endorsement for special, regular elections

The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union and one of its most powerful labor organizations full stop, is endorsing Democrat Analilia Mejia for New Jersey’s 11th congressional district.

The NJEA’s endorsement applies both to the April 16 special election, when Mejia will face Republican nominee Joe Hathaway, and the regularly scheduled 2026 elections, when she’ll be up for a full term (potentially against some Democratic primary opposition). It also comes with an endorsement from the National Education Association, the NJEA’s national counterpart.

“We are in tumultuous times. New Jersey and America need the strong, principled leadership that [Mejia] will bring to Washington, D.C.,” the NJEA’s three-member leadership board said in a joint statement. “She will be a voice for her constituents in CD-11 and for unheard and underrepresented people across New Jersey and America. As proud educators and as labor advocates, we will do everything we can to help her win in April and in November and we will partner with her to advance her positive agenda in Congress.”

The union had not taken sides in the February special primary election, when Mejia defeated ten fellow Democrats running for Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s seat. In fact, Mejia is one of the first 2026 candidates of any stripe that the NJEA has endorsed; in January, the union announced its support for Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City), who faces a serious primary challenge for a third term in the 8th congressional district.

Broadly speaking, the NJEA’s endorsements lean strongly towards Democratic candidates, though it did endorse nine GOP incumbents in the State Assembly last year. The union also supported Sherrill for the governorship in the general election, but went all-in during the primary for Sean Spiller, a former NJEA president.

Mejia has previously gotten union endorsements from 32BJ SEIU, 1199SEIU, the Communication Workers of America – all of which endorsed her prior to her special primary victory – and the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.