By Kristen Neymarc
One subject has dominated Joe Hathaway’s campaign against Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-11th Dist.): Socialism.
“Socialism,” “socialist” or “socialists” was mentioned 28 times in a Madison appearance last month. The Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, came up another eight times, for 36 references altogether. Hathaway himself accounted for 21 of them. Audience members raised the subject repeatedly, too, with one audience member warning that socialism was “about to ruin America.”
President Donald Trump was mentioned only once during the entire event, and that by Hathaway himself.
Addressing about 40 people, the Republican nominee framed the NJ-11 congressional rematch as a choice between “two very different schools of thought.”
“We believe just fundamentally differently in a lot of issues,” he told residents seated at the Madison Community House. The candidates also differ, he said, over “what the role of government should be and what the role of our Congress members should be.”
Hathaway and Mejia will square off for their first — and likely only — debate this evening, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at 6:30 pm at St. Elizabeth University in Morris Township. The event also will be livestreamed by the League of Women Voters of the Morris Area.
The race is a rematch of the April 16 special election, when Democratic Rep. Analilia Mejia defeated Hathaway roughly 60 percent to 40 percent to fill the remainder of former Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s term. The 11th District spans portions of Morris, Passaic and Essex counties. The Nov. 3 election is for a full two-year term.
Hathaway, a Randolph councilman and former mayor, said Mejia has moved “closer and closer and closer to those DSA positions” since taking office. He described her positions on healthcare and higher education as socialist.
“Forget about the old-fashioned socialism,” he said. “Let’s just look at what the DSA candidates today stand for.”
He pointed to the widely circulated Fox News Sunday interview with DSA national co-chair Megan Romer, who affirmed a series of positions associated with the organization’s platform, including abolishing the Senate and ICE, replacing the presidency and Supreme Court as they now exist, phasing out prisons and moving most large corporations into public ownership.
‘LIKE A MAYOR OR COUNCILMAN’
Hathaway’s case for himself was rooted closer to home.
“I believe our Congress members should operate a lot more like a mayor or a councilman,” he said.
For young people struggling to buy a house, Hathaway proposed a tax freeze for first-time homebuyers during the year they make the purchase. On energy, he called for an “all of the above approach,” including nuclear power, arguing that energy costs cannot come down without increasing supply.
On healthcare, he called for reforms aimed at lowering prescription-drug costs and expanding association health plans that would allow small businesses, independent workers and others to pool together to buy coverage. He also argued for more emphasis on community colleges and vocational training as alternatives to taking on large debts for four-year degrees.
Housing brought him directly back to municipal government.
Asked about New Jersey’s high-density housing mandates, Hathaway said new development can leave municipalities paying for larger schools, more police and fire services, roads, water and sewer systems. His proposal would make federal money available to communities facing especially large population increases to help cover some of those costs.
“If I’m running for office to represent a constituent group, I need to do everything I can to try to help solve problems facing those groups,” he said.
MONEY, MONEY MONEY
Toward the end of the town hall, Hathaway’s criticism of Mejia went beyond ideology.
He said Mejia had made “dark money” a major issue during the special election, only to later create what he described as “a dark money super PAC built to support socialist candidates running for all levels of government.”
“I have a big problem with that shift,” Hathaway said. “If you’re willing to say one thing and then turn on a dime like that, what else are you willing to do to achieve your goal?”
Hathaway called the contradiction more than a policy disagreement. “Saying one thing about dark money being the biggest problem in politics, and then going around and leveraging that same tool to get your people elected is a scary proposition,” he said.
Morristown Green could not verify Hathaway’s characterization. Federal Election Commission records classify Unbought Unbossed PAC, sponsored by Mejia, as a leadership PAC rather than a super PAC. Mejia’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment about the PAC.
FEC filings show Hathaway’s campaign has been outspent by Mejia’s by more than a two-to-one margin.
He has raised about $840,000 and spent nearly $800,000. She has raised more than $2.2 million and spent about $2.1 million, according to the filings.
About 95% of Hathaway’s funds have come from individual donors. The rest is from political committees and leadership PACs, including $5,000 from the National Apartment Association’s PAC and $2,000 from NORPAC, a pro-Israel group. Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s TKJ PAC contributed another $5,000.
About 79% of Mejia’s money has come from individual donors, meaning she has had a larger share of committee contributions than Hathaway. These have included progressive political groups such as Progressive Voters of America, which gave $15,000, along with Medicare for All, the Latino Victory Fund, and the Working Families Party PAC.
Labor unions also have contributed to Mejia, including the Communications Workers of America, Transportation workers PAC (SMART), the International Union of Operating Engineers, and the Teamsters. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union gave $10,000.
Neither Hathaway nor Mejia has aired video ads since the spring, when they ran against each other in the special election.
Correspondent Sophia Ricciardelli contributed to this report.
MORE ON MEJIA-HATHAWAY 2026 CAMPAIGNS
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