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As the one Republican working to interchange Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill within the particular election for New Jersey’s eleventh Congressional District, Randolph Township Mayor Joe Hathaway has the benefit of not needing to bump elbows in a 12-candidate area like his Democratic counterparts.
Sherrill’s gubernatorial win and subsequent resignation from Congress triggered a particular election within the blue district. However as a dozen Democrats scramble for his or her social gathering’s nomination, Hathaway advised Fox Information Digital in an unique interview that voters will flip to his candidacy to keep away from what he known as the “chaotic mess” of the Democratic main.
“The district is prepared for a brand new era of management,” Hathaway mentioned. “That is what I characterize.”
Hathaway advised Fox Information Digital that New Jersey voters are bored with the political “spin” and “preventing” in Washington, D.C., pitching himself because the generational chief that voters from throughout the political spectrum can look to for management.
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Randolph Township Mayor Joe Hathaway is the one Republican working to interchange Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill within the U.S. Home of Representatives.
“Individuals need somebody who’s going to place the political nonsense apart and get to work. That is what I characterize, so I feel that’s going to be a beautiful provide for Republicans, for independents, for Democrats, for voters throughout the board,” Hathaway added.
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The Republican candidate pointed to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s success in neighboring New York Metropolis as a sign that “youthful, extra progressive leaders of their social gathering [are] shifting the Democratic Social gathering towards socialism, towards anti-law enforcement, towards antisemitism, towards greater authorities, an even bigger system that’s nonetheless damaged.”
However Hathaway mentioned that “centrist, average” Democratic voters and people of New Jersey’s eleventh Congressional District don’t search that future, drawing a “clear, stark distinction” along with his personal Republican marketing campaign.
“On the finish of the day, voters are going to must decide between which subsequent era they need representing them,” he mentioned. “I am attempting to characterize the following era of the Republican Social gathering — one constructed on laborious work, on pragmatic frequent sense options to assist individuals to make life higher.”
Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., delivers remarks at her election evening watch social gathering on the Hilton East Brunswick Resort on Nov. 4, 2025, in East Brunswick, New Jersey. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Photographs)
In The Backyard State, Hathaway defined that the Democratic Social gathering has been “driving the bus for an extended, very long time.” Whereas Republicans made some inroads in New Jersey in the course of the 2024 presidential election, New Jersey is broadly thought-about a blue state and Sherrill has stored its eleventh Congressional District blue since 2018.
“We characterize that chance for individuals to look into the longer term and see somebody who grew up right here, who has lived right here, who is aware of the communities, who is aware of the small companies, who is aware of every neighborhood individually and what brings all of them collectively, and has some concepts and has some expertise on the native degree, making authorities work higher for individuals right here in Randolph,” Hathaway mentioned.
As a 38-year-old father of three, Hathaway mentioned younger households and voters have turn out to be disillusioned by the American Dream, preventing to make ends meet and earn sufficient to make a dwelling. The Randolph Township mayor mentioned he jumped into the congressional race to convey a “workhorse mindset all the way down to Washington” and ship for the “hardworking individuals of this district.”
“Affordability is the most important focus of our marketing campaign,” Hathaway mentioned. “It will get on the core of what we simply talked about, the challenges that so many households face right here in New Jersey.”
Particularly, Hathaway mentioned he would help tax-elimination for first-time home-buyers as a result of having the ability to afford a house and begin a household is “actually what the American Dream is all about on the finish of the day.”
Giant crowds collect on the seaside in Wildwood, New Jersey, on Could 11, 2024, forward of President Donald Trump’s remarks. (The Picture Direct for Fox Information Digital)
The Republican additionally dedicated to discovering methods to “incentivize roles that equip employees for the roles of in the present day and for the roles of tomorrow,” via vocational coaching and different “in-demand, extremely beneficial expertise that do not essentially require all the coed mortgage debt.”
“By the way in which, it is in all probability going to be one thing you hear on the opposite facet as effectively. However I feel on the opposite facet, their options are going to be extra authorities, extra dependency, extra authorities, extra, extra of the identical damaged system, which I essentially disagree with, and I feel most voters do too,” he mentioned.
The particular main election is ready for Feb. 5, 2026, and the particular common election might be held on April 16, 2026.
Subsequent yr’s midterm elections will function a litmus take a look at of President Donald Trump’s sweeping, second-term agenda and can decide if Republicans preserve management of the Home and Senate. New Jersey’s particular election might be certainly one of a number of pulse checks earlier than November’s elections determine the congressional stability of energy.
When requested how Trump’s endorsement would play out within the Backyard State, Hathaway mentioned, “I would like Republicans of all shapes, colours, sizes throughout the board. We’re a big-tent social gathering, so we’ll want all Republicans rowing in the identical route to win this seat and to win this particular election on April sixteenth.”
President Donald Trump signed the One Huge Lovely Invoice Act into legislation on the White Home on July 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Photographs)
However the Republican mentioned his first precedence is to characterize the voters of his district. And whereas he applauded Trump’s “huge, stunning invoice” for elevating New Jersey’s State and Native Tax (SALT) deduction cap and rising the childcare tax credit, Hathaway clarified that if “there are issues that I do not help that are not good for our district, I am going to come out and say that too.”
The New Jersey Globe reported in July {that a} bipartisan group of 13 New Jersey representatives and senators despatched a letter to Secretary of Battle Pete Hegseth, expressing “grave concern” over a proposed shake-up to Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, New Jersey.
“I do know the administration is considering the concept of shuttering Picatinny Arsenal, an enormous army base right here in our district right here in Morris County. I vehemently disagree with that. I feel that may be dangerous for our nationwide protection. I feel it will be dangerous for the hundreds of citizen staff and contractors who work within the Picatinny Arsenal, who’re creating the following era of artillery and army intelligence supplies,” he mentioned.
In the end, Hathaway mentioned he’s dedicated to advocating for what’s finest for the voters of his district, even when which means being at odds with the administration on a proposal or particular difficulty that impacts New Jersey.
Randolph Township Mayor Joe Randolph is the one Republican within the particular election for New Jersey’s eleventh Congressional District, whereas 12 Democrats are vying for his or her social gathering’s nomination. (Hathaway Marketing campaign)
“Our marketing campaign goes to be one thing that’s enticing to voters of all persuasions due to what we’re representing, which is somebody who’s right here to roll up their sleeves, do the work, who does not actually fairly frankly care about what the political winds are swirling round. It is about doing the job,” he mentioned.
“I am nonetheless a soccer participant at coronary heart. I am nonetheless a nostril guard at coronary heart who simply runs within the trenches and tries to make issues occur and do the job, so that is the sort of mentality I will convey to the seat, and I feel that is one thing that, fairly frankly, voters throughout the board wish to see of their consultant,” Hathaway mentioned.
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Hathaway was born and raised in New Jersey, the place he at present serves as mayor of Randolph Township. He graduated from Yale College, the place he performed soccer and earned All-Ivy League honors. He started his political profession as an aide to former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., and at present manages government communications and operations within the healthcare trade.
13 Democratic candidates certified for the first poll within the race for Sherrill’s open congressional seat following her gubernatorial win.
Marc Chaaban, a former congressional staffer for Sherrill, dropped out of the race earlier this week, bringing the tally as of Friday to 12 Democrats vying for the social gathering’s nomination.
