New Jersey primary serves as key test for progressive and moderate Democrats

New Jersey voters head to the polls Tuesday for a special congressional primary to fill the seat vacated by Mikie Sherrill following her election as governor.

Eleven Democratic candidates are vying for the seat in a district considered a stronghold for the party. The race is being watched as a key test of whether voters prefer a mainstream moderate or a progressive outsider.

Top moderate contenders include Tom Malinowski, Brendan Gill, and Tahesha Way. They are challenged by longtime labor activist Analilia Mejia, who has consolidated support from the party’s progressive wing.

Mejia has secured endorsements from high-profile progressive figures, including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Immigration enforcement has emerged as a central issue in the campaign. While most candidates oppose increasing the budget for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Mejia has taken a harder line by calling for the agency to be abolished.

The election results will signal whether a left-wing platform on ICE can resonate with voters in a traditionally moderate district.

While technically a single-seat contest in a safe Democratic stronghold, this New Jersey primary serves as a critical bellwether for the party’s national trajectory ahead of the midterms. The race has evolved into a fundamental struggle for the party's identity, pitting its pragmatic moderate wing against an increasingly assertive progressive flank.

An upset victory by progressive candidate Analilia Mejia would send shockwaves through the establishment. It would demonstrate that the progressive movement’s grassroots momentum can bridge the gap from deep-blue urban centers to moderate suburban districts. Such a result would likely embolden similar insurgent campaigns across the country. Conversely, a win for a mainstream figure like Tom Malinowski would validate the centrist argument that the path to victory lies in "kitchen table" economic issues—specifically the cost-of-living concerns that previously propelled moderates like Mikie Sherrill to office.

The debate over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remains the central policy flashpoint. Mejia’s "Abolish ICE" platform represents a high-stakes gamble; its performance at the ballot box will provide national Democrats with essential data on how to navigate the deeply polarizing landscape of immigration reform. Whether this rhetoric resonates or alienates the electorate will determine the party’s strategic approach to one of its most contentious internal policy divides.

The debate over ICE in this election cycle hits close to home for the Vietnamese-American community, especially for families in enclaves like Little Saigon who are navigating deportation scares or pending immigration cases. Candidates’ positions—ranging from moderate stances to calls to abolish the agency—highlight a deep rift in American immigration policy. The election results will likely signal the Democratic Party’s future trajectory on enforcement, directly affecting the sense of security for our community, whether it's business owners in the nail salon industry, workers in phở restaurants, or families waiting on F2B visa sponsorships. For many whose lives are built on the stability of remittances and the safety of their loved ones, the outcome will define the future of immigration reform and our collective peace of mind.