Mejia, Hathaway clash over Trump, socialism and health care in fiery NJ-11 debate

By Sophia Ricciardelli

Democratic Rep. Analilia Mejia and Republican challenger Joe Hathaway accused each other of putting political loyalties over the district’s interests in Monday’s contentious debate, clashing over issues ranging from health care to foreign policy.

Mejia, a former labor organizer who won an April special election to succeed Gov. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, is seeking a full two-year term in the House.  Hathaway, a Republican Randolph councilman and former mayor, is challenging her for a second time in seven months after losing the special election by about 21 percentage points.

The district spans much of Morris County — including Greater Morristown— and portions of Essex and Passaic counties.

Moderator Assatta Mann-Colon repeatedly had to request silence from a rowdy audience at Saint Elizabeth University in Madison, where the debate was hosted by the League of Women Voters. About 400 people attended the event, according to George Petersen, the University’s director of security. About 1,100 people had watched the video as of Tuesday.

It was the candidates’ only scheduled head-to-head meeting of the campaign.

In her opening statement, Mejia, 49, focused on the influence of wealthy donors and special interests in government, presenting herself as a fighter for working families and future generations. She cast the election as a choice between a representative willing to challenge the administration and one who would simply “bend the knee” to President Trump.

Hathaway, 39, framed Mejia as too far left for the district, repeatedly invoking her ties to socialism while presenting himself as a moderate who would defend capitalism. He also rapped her for declining to participate in a League of Women Voters debate earlier this year.

Hathaway questioned Mejia’s opposition to political corruption by criticizing her for starting her own PAC — the Unbought, Unbossed PAC — shortly after getting to Congress, and for not voting to ban congressional stock trading. He accused her of buying other candidates to pass her “radical” agenda. Mejia did not respond to either issue.

They disagreed on pretty much everything, but particularly on their approach to economic policy and wealth inequality.

THE ECONOMY AND COST OF LIVING

Mejia, who worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign and served in the Department of Labor under President Biden, attributed rising costs to monopolies, political corruption and what she called an illegal war with Iran. She argued that government officials should prioritize working families rather than corporate interests or their own wealth.

Hathaway, who played football at Yale and served in former Gov. Chris Christie’s administration, emphasized the need to support small businesses and said President Trump’s tariffs have hurt New Jersey business owners. He also opposed raising the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour — a proposal Mejia has backed — saying the increase would “utterly destroy” small businesses.

Instead, Hathaway advocated for vocational training and investment in institutions such as the County College of Morris, which he said could help workers move into higher-paying careers “instead of trapping them in life sentences of minimum wage” that make them more dependent on the government.

Mejia serves on the House Small Business Committee. She maintained the government could support both business owners and employees.

When asked to address the national debt, Hathaway called for reducing waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Social Security, as well as requiring the federal government to balance its budget. Mejia countered that cuts to federal programs would hurt working families while allowing wealthy Americans and corporations to continue benefiting from tax breaks. She knocked Hathaway for supporting the Trump administration’s DOGE spending cuts while supporting the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which she pointed out added $4 trillion to the national debt.

When Hathaway countered that her plan for universal healthcare would add $25 trillion to the national debt, Mejia suggested raising taxes for the wealthy. “What about we insist that everyone pay their fair share?” she asked, adding that “to gut government and do without” is not the only option to reduce debt.

Health care was another major point of disagreement. Mejia advocated for a single-payer system to replace the current profit-driven model that she said leaves Americans facing medical debt and unable to afford necessary care. She cited Australia, Norway and Canada as examples of nations with universal health care.

Hathaway opposed single-payer health care, arguing it would be too expensive and limit medical innovation, access to doctors, and patients’ ability to choose what care they receive. He instead proposed increasing price transparency, expanding insurance options to get more people paying into the system, addressing the pharmaceutical industry’s role in hiking up prescription drug prices and making coverage more accessible to gig workers and small businesses.

He conceded that none of those are “silver bullet” solutions, but argued that the correct solution “will never be socialist healthcare.”

Mejia countered that the solutions he offered would do little for people truly in need. “What does your system and choices mean if you can’t afford it?” she asked.

The incumbent’s fundraising is healthy: Mejia has raised about $2.2 million to Hathaway’s $840,000, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

IMMIGRATION

Mejia called for overhauling the immigration system, asserting that ICE has created “chaos and violence” and eroded immigrants’ constitutional rights to due process and equal protection. She proposed investing in immigration judges and lawyers to streamline citizen application cases and creating expedited pathways for workers needed in the U.S. economy.

Hathaway said immigrants who have been here a long time and contribute to our community deserve citizenship. “I think we can offer a pathway toward recognition that is much more expedient through our green card program, through our permanent resident program,” he said. He did not mention ICE.

Hathaway said undocumented immigrants who commit violent crimes should be deported, accused Mejia of refusing to take a position on the issue, and, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America, called her non-stance “a DSA dog whistle.”

She did not address that charge, instead claiming Hathaway had clearly not read her position on immigration. Many of the immigrants who are being violently detained have work permits and are working within the legal system, she said.

MIDDLE EAST

Hathaway backed the war in Iran, arguing the importance of making sure Iran doesn’t have any nuclear capabilities. “When we can ensure that American lives are safe, that is when we can declare victory,” he said. He also questioned Mejia’s credibility on the issue, pointing to her support for Abdul El-Sayed, whom Hathaway said “has multiple connections to Islamic terror organizations.”

Mejia countered that the United States had been dragged into an “illegal war” costing American lives and billions of dollars, and called on Congress to strengthen its war powers.

Their disagreement continued over the war in Gaza and U.S. support for Israel. Mejia called for upholding international law, protecting civilians and ensuring that U.S. tax dollars are spent responsibly. She described conditions for Palestinians as “horrific” and said both Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live safely and freely in their homelands.

Hathaway criticized Mejia’s positions on Israel, accusing her of shifting her stance on a two-state solution and promoting what he called the “false pretense” that Israel was committing genocide. He also criticized her vote to cut U.S. aid to Israel, including defensive aid, and questioned her support for sending money to Jordan, citing its human rights record.

“Are we only in favor of human rights violators when they aren’t from Israel?” he asked.

Mejia said her concerns about Gaza were grounded in the 1948 U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and rejected Hathaway’s framing that her criticism of the Israeli government reflected any hostility toward Jewish people.

“I’ve spent my entire adult life fighting injustice, standing with my Jewish brothers and sisters,” she said. “This is an unjust and disgusting accusation.”

Hathaway made the issue domestic when he criticized Mejia for voting against legislation he said would protect Jewish students from radical protesters. NJ-11 has a large Jewish community. “Every Jewish member of this district needs to know that she voted against that bill and put our students at risk,” he said.

At one point, Mejia accused her opponent of ignorance. “He doesn’t understand what his party is in fact doing in Washington,” she said.

CLIMATE AND ENERGY

Hathaway advocated for an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy with a heavy emphasis on nuclear power. Increasing energy supply is essential to lowering costs, he argued, blaming New Jersey’s rising energy prices on Gov. Phil Murphy’s all-electric mandates. He did not mention the climate crisis, though that’s what the question was about.

In response to his support for nuclear energy, Mejia criticized Hathaway’s support for Trump administration cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency. “How would we even ensure that we have safe nuclear facilities if we allow the likes of Joe Hathaway to take a hatchet to our federal government?” she said.

Mejia supported an expansion of renewable energy sources, and emphasized the importance of keeping the environment sustainable for generations to come.

The debate was co-sponsored by the ACLU of New Jersey; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Morristown Alumnae Chapter; and the New Jersey Hills Media Group.

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