11 Democrats running to keep blue-leaning seat in party hands as GOP House majority on the brink

By Fox News · Fox News

Eleven candidates are running in Thursday's Democratic Party primary in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District. The seat was left vacant after now New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning November's gubernatorial election in the Garden State. The winner of the Democratic primary will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for the special election, which will be held on April 16. The special election in a district that tilts towards the Democrats comes as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218-214 majority in the House of Representatives . HOUSE GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO JUST ONE VOTE AS JOHNSON SWEARS IN NEW HOUSE DEMOCRAT But the GOP may land a reinforcement before the general election for the open seat in New Jersey is held. That's because a special election is scheduled on March 10 in Georgia's solidly right 14th Congressional District, in the race to succeed former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The MAGA firebrand and one-time top Trump House ally a month ago stepped down from Congress a year before her term ended. A whopping 22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, are running in the Georgia showdown. JOHNSON WARNS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO ‘STAY HEALTHY’ AS GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO THE EDGE According to Georgia state law, all the candidates will run on the same ballot. If no contender tops 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two finishers will take place on April 7. Greene won re-election in 2024 to the seat by nearly 30 points and Trump carried the district, which is located in northwest Georgia, by 37 points. While there's a very crowded field in Thursday's Democratic congressional primary in New Jersey, only a handful of the candidates have a possible shot at winning the nomination. Among the frontrunners are former Rep. Tom Malinowski, an assistant Secretary of State in former President Barack Obama's administration who represented the neighboring 7th Congressional District from 2018 to 2022 befor…