2026 has come in hard. 

We were still processing the Trump administration’s military strike on Venezuela when the murder of Renee Nicole Good seared its way across our touchscreens. A suburban mom with a dog in the car and a glovebox filled with stuffed animals. A woman who stopped to help her neighbors when ICE operatives swarmed her neighborhood. She could be so many of us. She should still be here.

New Year’s Resolutions? We got you covered!

As we say in our mission statement, NJ 11th for Change fosters an engaged and informed community. To that end, we are excited to share our comprehensive CD 11 Special Election Voter Guide! The guide features video presentations from all 12 candidates running in the Democratic primary. There are 24 short, easy to watch segments from both our Essex and Morris candidate Meet and Greet events in December, plus links to every candidate’s website, and a complete timeline of important voter information. 

Our suggested resolutions:

Send our Special Election Voter Guide to at least 11 friends and neighbors in January. This election is somehow both a bellwether for 2026 while also flying under the radar of most voters in CD 11. Our job? Spread the word! 

• Make sure your friends and neighbors know about the election, and what’s at stake. 
• Alert them to the election timelines–Early Voting will be more important than ever, considering the possibility for winter weather disruptions at the polls.
• Remind everyone you talk to that Election Day is on a THURSDAY. Thirty-six days to February 5th!

All those Giving Tuesday emails finally cleared from your inbox? Well, life is moving so fast here in NJ’s 11th, we are making PURPLE TUESDAY a thing! We hope you have time for one more ask. 

Special Election timeframes are set. 

Reminders to sign up for our 2 Candidate Meet and Greets! Space in both Essex and Morris are limited and filling fast, so sign up today!

Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill officially left her House seat at midnight last night, and Gov. Murphy has now set the date for when her successor will be elected. The primary election will be held on Thursday, February 5 and the general election will be held on Thursday, April 16. 

We are all still pretty emotional about all this. THANK YOU, Governor-Elect Sherrill, for your years of service to NJ 11. We're so proud of you, and excited to see you extend your remarkable skills and dedication to the whole of New Jersey.

We just wrapped up an election, and all anyone can talk about is… the next election! With Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill moving on to Trenton, the gears are moving for a special election primary (and then general) to choose her successor in the House of Representatives. And we’ve already got A LOT of candidates who have thrown their hats into the ring for the Dem nomination!

It says a lot about Governor-Elect Mikie Sherrill’s legacy, NJ 11th for Change’s work these past nine (!) years, and the national importance of holding New Jersey’s 11th Congressional district overall, that we have this incredible field of candidates stepping up to represent us. We are here for this deep bench moment! Holy cow!!

THE POWER OF US. 

Governor Elect Sherrill (we love to write that) gave her final speech on the floor of the House yesterday, and announced that she will be resigning from Congress next week. In case you were wondering (of course you were wondering), Mikie’s signature on the Epstein discharge petition will still count after her departure from Congress.

Meanwhile, the clock starts now for the race for our new Congressperson. The eyes of the nation are on NJ’s 11th district.

We have a lot to say about the election last week (Um… 14 points lots to say!!) but before we do, let’s celebrate. 

Join your NJ 11th for Change friends this Sunday from 2-4pm to celebrate Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s historic victory in last week’s election!  Stop in or stay all afternoon and let’s toast our years long efforts and hard work. 

Register here, drop us a donation if you can help out, and we will see you Sunday. 

NJ 11th for Change is beyond proud that our Congresswoman will be the next Governor of New Jersey. Mikie Sherrill has served our district with distinction, as she previously did in the Navy and the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Jersey. We know she will faithfully execute the duties of the office, and we eagerly await her inauguration and administration. 

Mikie Sherrill’s win on Tuesday was nothing short of spectacular, a definitive 13-point+ margin of victory over her opponent. Her win was a rebuke to the heavy-handed tactics of Donald Trump. It was also a crucial vindication of her clear and consistent messaging to New Jerseyans, advocating for leadership that prioritizes practical solutions for the affordability crisis confronting our state. Her impressive gains in every county, including five counties won by Trump (Blorris!), demonstrate the power of that message.

We also extend congratulations to Mikie’s campaign team, whose hard work and determination powered her across the finish line. It was our privilege to support and work next to you, and we applaud your extraordinary success.

As Governor-Elect Sherrill assumes the Governor’s office, the 11th Congressional District enters its own period of transition. As a reminder, NJ 11th for Change has a long-standing policy of not endorsing in primaries, and will not endorse a candidate in any upcoming CD 11 primaries.

Today, Monday, Nov. 3, is Election Hero Day. 

Yup. It’s a national celebration which honors the people who keep our elections secure and protect our democracy. We know that as Governor, Mikie will stand up and work for us and for our democracy. 

You know who else knows that? This guy. Were you in Newark to hear President Obama on Saturday? Team Nutley got to greet both Mikie and Barack! 

As the days get shorter and gigantic skeletons sprout on our neighbors’ lawns, we gotta say, the scariest thing we can think of is Jack in charge of NJ. Shudder. Shudder. 

HOW MANY MORE DAYS?
TWELVE MORE DAYS.

Twelve more days to canvass, to phone bank, to text bank, to make sure every single New Jersey voter you know has a VOTING PLAN.

Need some talking points? We got you: https://www.nj11thforchange.org/talking_points 

And while we are talking about watching our calendars–Early Voting starts this Saturday! That’s right, 10 days of early voting. 

Happy Monday! It was QUITE a weekend. 

We feel compelled to share Mara Novak’s dream from last night:

I just want you all to know that last night I dreamt that the Sherrill campaign took over my entire house as a staging area for a massive rally, which I only found out about when I encountered Robert freaking DeNiro walking around my house trying to get to the backyard stage. I went outside and the campaign had also somehow built a huge sledding hill with artificial snow, and professional bobsledders and dirt bikers were doing tricks while racing down the hill. And then a staffer came by to offer me snacks and I woke up.