Friend of the pod and New Jersey Monitor editor Terrence McDonald joins us this week to break down Governor Mikie Sherrill’s inauguration and the race to fill her former congressional seat in New Jersey’s 11th District. While the absence of an incumbent usually presents an opportunity for a party to flip a seat, McDonald notes that the district’s boundaries make it “a super safe seat for Democrats,” even without an incumbent. McDonald highlights the crowded Democratic primary of 11 candidates, who will face the lone Republican in the special election on Thursday, February 5.
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🎧 Our full conversation is available on this week’s episode of The Montclair Pod. Below is a summary of the conversation.
Sherrill Moves Quickly on Utility Bills
In the first week of her administration, Governor Sherrill moved quickly, signing several executive orders, with the most consequential focused on utility costs. McDonald said the move effectively fulfills her campaign promise to freeze utility bills, even if the mechanics are a little more complicated. While the state does not directly control market-based utility rates, Sherrill expanded credits that ratepayers already received last year, using multiple state revenue sources to offset costs. The result, McDonald explained, is that bills will be “the same or lower” because of those credits. He noted that while the rates themselves are not technically frozen, what most residents care about is “how much they’re paying,” and by that measure the administration is delivering.
How Involved Will Sherrill Be in Montclair’s Fiscal Crisis?
As Montclair heads toward a possible state fiscal monitor, McDonald urged some caution about assuming Governor Sherrill’s personal ties to the town will translate into hands-on involvement. While Sherrill lives in Montclair and has children in the school system, McDonald said he is not sure the governor will have “daily knowledge of what the fiscal monitor is up to,” even if one is appointed. He pointed out that Sherrill has inherited a long list of challenges, from pressure from the Trump administration to broader economic realities facing New Jersey, and that Montclair’s fiscal crisis, while significant locally, may not rise to the level of something that appears on her “daily briefing list.”
That said, McDonald acknowledged there could be indirect effects. If the governor or her Department of Education appoints a fiscal monitor, she would likely have some say in that process and some interest in how things unfold. He suggested that whoever fills that role might operate with an added sense of awareness, knowing that “my essential boss is the governor who lives here” and could hear from parents, teachers, or residents about what is happening in the district.
The Lone Republican: Joe Hathaway
The only Republican in the race is Joe Hathaway, the mayor of Randolph. McDonald described Hathaway’s pitch as fairly straightforward, centered on claims that Democrats are anti-Semitic, anti-business, and pro-illegal immigration, and that electing him would help change that. When asked whether Hathaway is vocally aligning himself with President Trump, McDonald said it was a good question, but one they have not explored deeply yet, adding that they will likely look more closely at his campaign after the Democratic primary.
A Democratic Field United by Trump
Before diving into individual Democrats, McDonald said it is important to understand how similar many of the campaigns sound. At a meet-and-greet at Montclair State University in December, every candidate made some version of the same argument. “I’m the best person who can fight Trump,” or “I’ve defeated Trump before.” McDonald said Trump is “the sort of animating force behind literally every single one of these campaigns,” noting that one candidate is even a Trump impersonator on the side. Policy differences, he said, are minimal, making this “really sort of like a personality race.”
Brendan Gill, a Montclair resident who has appeared on the podcast before, fits squarely into the establishment-backed lane. McDonald said Gill has strong support from elected officials and party leaders across Essex and Morris counties, along with former Governor Murphy’s endorsement. He recently attended an event where Murphy spoke on Gill’s behalf. Gill is running heavily on fighting Trump, while also leaning into his endorsements as proof of credibility.
Tom Malinowski’s Comeback Attempt
Former congressman Tom Malinowski is also in the race, with backing from Senator Andy Kim. McDonald explained that Malinowski previously represented the 7th District and lost reelection after redistricting reshaped the map. His hometown is outside the 11th District, though Malinowski has said he plans to move into it, possibly to South Orange. Some towns he once represented in Morris County are now part of the 11th. As for policy distinctions, McDonald said Malinowski’s message does not stand out much from the rest, again emphasizing that most of the Democrats are focused on Trump rather than sharply different agendas.
The Progressive Contender
Analilia Mejia is positioning herself as the progressive candidate in the race. McDonald said she has endorsements from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, along with other high-profile national Democrats. She recently appeared at a Fighting Oligarchy tour rally connected to Sanders. Mejia is emphasizing her background as a community organizer and calling for a fighter in Congress, while implicitly criticizing candidates like Gill and Malinowski as establishment Democrats. In response, McDonald said Gill and others have pushed back by reframing that label, arguing that establishment support simply means backing from leaders elected by voters in the district.
Asked whether the district is leaning progressive, McDonald said the answer depends almost entirely on who shows up. He stressed that this will be a “very, very low turnout race,” held on a Thursday in February, making it hard to predict voter preferences. With limited time between the seat opening and the election, and only modest get-out-the-vote efforts so far, McDonald said the outcome may hinge on which voters remember that “there’s an election today” and actually go to the polls.
Other Notable Democrats in the Race
Beyond the most visible names, McDonald ran through the rest of the Democratic field. That includes Tahesha Way, the former secretary of state and lieutenant governor under Murphy, who he said likely belongs in the top tier due to her stature, fundraising, and campaign infrastructure, even without Murphy’s endorsement. He also pointed to Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett, who is running as someone who can get things done, citing infrastructure projects like the Route 46 and Route 3 interchange as examples.
The remaining candidates include Morris Township Deputy Mayor Jeff Grayzel, Chatham councilman Justin Strickland, community activist Anna Lee Williams, Army veteran Zachary Beecher, Montclair resident Cammie Croft who previously worked in the Obama White House, and J.L. Cauvin, an attorney and part-time Trump impersonator.
As McDonald put it, many of the candidates have solid biographies and local credentials, but in a short, low-turnout special election, the unifying message remains the same. Get to Washington and fight Trump.
