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.
Seeing so many of you at Ice Out For Good protests this past weekend helped transform despair into determination. We must not take a minute of our time for granted.
We will continue our mission of advocating for ALL people of the 11th district and we will not stop. Our hearts are breaking for Renee’s family and friends, and we will honor her memory by continuing to stand up to the current administration and its attacks on our neighbors and community.
Time and again over the past nine years, we have learned that when we feel at our lowest, the antidote is always action. It’s how we keep fear and rage from smothering closeness and community.
Focus on one or two things. Think about the concrete actions you can take to impact those ONE or TWO things.
Next Monday is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Once again we will be hosting a food and gift card drive, collecting food donations for Toni’s Kitchen and the Human Needs Pantry in Montclair as well as gift cards for families at Delaney Hall. Please join us for cocoa and cookies and drop off your donation on Monday, Jan 19, 2026 from 11am-1pm. Can’t join us on Monday? Drop us a note and we will make other arrangements.
Donation Requests
Toni’s Kitchen: Cereal, pasta, 1 or 2 lbs bags of rice
Human Needs Pantry: Gently used winter coats, large diapers–size 4-8, diaper wipes, cereal
Delaney Hall: Grocery Store Gift Cards and Uber Gift Cards
https://www.mobilize.us/nj11thforchange/event/885399/
We are three weeks away from the Special Election Primary. Our recent Facebook poll indicated that nearly 70% of NJ 11th for Change members already know how they are voting. But we know you know folks who don’t even know there’s an election coming! Your friends and neighbors need you to help them get the information they need to make a voting plan.
Want an easy and important action you can do right from your phone? Reach out to 11 friends today and share NJ 11th for Change’s Special Election Voter Guide which includes all the pertinent dates and links as well as five minute video presentations from every Democratic primary candidate.
Action is the antidote to despair. We will support our neighbors. We will demand accountability from our elected officials. We will work to elect new representatives who will uphold our mission. And we will work with our grassroots partners across the state. Now, more than ever, NJ 11th for Change will continue to support the work of local groups like the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, Make the Road NJ, and Wind of the Spirit. We will share their calls to action and join them in standing up for our neighbors. Know your rights! Save and share this link for vital Know Your Rights (KYR) resources. Knowledge is power.
Events…
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 and Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Glen Ridge Democratic Club Meet & Greet
Analila Mejia (1/13) at 6:00 PM
Tom Malinowski (1/21) at 6:45 PM
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Candidate Meet and Greet: Special Election for CD 11
Sponsored by League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area
At Caldwell University, Caldwell, NJ
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Monday, January 19, 2026
NJ 11th for Change Food Drive (with Cocoa and Cookies!)
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
To benefit Toni’s Kitchen, the Human Needs Pantry, and families at Delaney Hall
Can’t join us on Monday? Drop us a note here and we will make other arrangements.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 and Thursday, January 22, 2026
Rank the Desserts Statewide Tour
Sunday, January 25, 2026
CD 11 Congressional Candidates Forum
Hosted by Morris County Democratic Committee Jewish Caucus
126 North Main St., Boonton, NJ
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
RSVP via email: [email protected]
Save the Date:
Friday, February 27, 2026
5th Annual Social Justice Symposium, RE: Claim Truth
Hosted by Caldwell University
Timeline: 2026 NJ-11 Special Election
Primary Vote-By-Mail Ballots Mailed To Voters:
Dec. 22 [Already done; if you expected a ballot and it didn’t come, contact your County Clerk!]
In-Person Early Voting For Primary Election:
Jan. 29-Feb. 3
Filing Deadline For Primary Election (Independents):
Feb. 5 (Signatures needed: 250)
Primary Election Day:
Thursday, February 5
In-Person Early Voting For General Election:
April 6-April 14
General Election Day:
Thursday, April 16
