Joseph Lewis pitches middle-class agenda in challenge to Rep. Analilia Mejia in NJ 11th District primary

By April Stelle

The decision to run for Congress was easy for Joseph B. Lewis II.

A self-proclaimed political junkie, the Montville resident has canvassed for the last three presidential candidates. He remembers his parents campaigning for local politicians when he was growing up outside Atlanta.

Lewis is one of three Democrats vying in Tuesday’s primary to unseat Rep. Analilia Mejia, sent to Washington last month by voters in the 11th District in a special election to fill the unexpired term of Mikie Sherrill, who left Congress to become governor.

The winner on June 2, 2026, becomes the nominee to face Republican Joe Hathaway in November for a full two-year term. District 11 spans much of Morris County — including Greater Morristown — and parts of Essex and Passaic counties.

Lewis’ campaign website does not name Mejia; it suggests the “special election winner is only a temporary steward” and a party insider, and invites voters to remember “in America, we have elections, not coronations.”

In contrast to Mejia — a progressive community organizer who has spoken up for Palestinians in Gaza — Lewis, a software engineer, is portraying himself as a champion of the middle class at home and a staunch defender of Israel.

“I unequivocally support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state,” he says.

One name Lewis is not shy about citing is Donald Trump. If elected, the candidate says, he will fight to repeal the president’s “Big Ugly Bill,” as he calls last year’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Lewis says eliminating Trump tax cuts for the wealthy will save $2.3 trillion over the next decade. He wants to reinvest those savings into tax breaks for households earning less than $150,000, permanent restoration of expired Obamacare enhanced health subsidies, and restoration of President Biden initiatives to counter climate change.

While he endorses legal immigration, Lewis said Trump’s deportation policies have hurt the hospitality and farming industries. He proposes 12-month work permits for undocumented individuals, who then would be required to return home for three months before re-applying.

At a Montclair No Kings rally in March, Lewis blasted Trump’s tripling of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) budget under the “Ugly” bill. He favors repealing funds for “unqualified, untrained” ICE agents and vows to remove incompetent ones and prosecute those who break laws.

ROOTS OF A MIDDLE-CLASS WORLDVIEW

Lewis traces many of the priorities driving his campaign to his upbringing in a middle-class family and lessons learned from parents who stressed education, hard work and civic engagement.

His father was the first in his family to graduate from college, studying chemistry and agriculture. His mother earned her degree when Lewis was 3, an achievement he still remembers celebrating as she crossed the stage.

Lewis’ father worked as a plant supervisor and supplemented the family’s income with side jobs, from customizing vans to selling vacuum cleaners. His parents also introduced him to politics, taking him along while canvassing for local candidates.

Inspired by their work ethic, Lewis pursued higher education, earning a degree in computer systems engineering from Howard University, a master’s degree in computer science from Cornell University, and an MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Southern California.

For the last two decades, Lewis has worked in technology as a software engineer and technical product lead. He says collaborating with diverse teams to solve practical problems is experience he would bring to Congress.

Lewis believes his background outside politics gives him a different perspective.

“Well, I’m a regular person, just like the voters out there, so I understand their day-to-day struggles and triumphs. I just want to help people have a better life,” he told Morristown Green this week on the historic Green.

Lewis and his wife Amber are raising daughters Kasey and Kaelyn. His campaign has been a family effort, with Amber, a professional political strategist, serving that role. Lewis has financed the campaign mostly through a $100,000 personal loan.

He says conversations with voters have reinforced his concerns about rising costs and the challenges facing middle-class families.

Although he has canvassed for presidential hopefuls, Lewis said campaigning on his own behalf has been a different experience.

“As a candidate, I feel like it’s important to get out there and meet the voters myself,” Lewis said. “Talking to voters, hearing about their day-to-day struggles, and talking to them about the solutions I propose to make their life better, and seeing them nodding their heads in agreement, this is what we need. So that’s very rewarding.”

Rounding out Tuesday’s Democratic field are former Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello and Chatham Borough Councilman Justin Strickland.

Kevin Coughlin contributed to this report. Check back soon for more candidate profiles.