EDITOR'S NOTE: Here are some thoughts regarding the upcoming special election in CD-11.

Joe Hathaway, the mayor of Randolph, has already won. The Republican nomination that is.

Amid a filing flurry that saw 13 Democrats seeking Mikie Sherrill's House seat, Hathaway was the only Republican to file a nominating petition.

"We're very happy that's the case," Hathaway said Tuesday morning when he looked up and saw he had no opponent.

The primary is Feb. 5 and the special general election is April 16. The district covers parts of Essex, Passaic and Morris counties.

He said one key was that he consolidated support early. Hathaway announced his candidacy in early October.

Hathaway also spoke of a dedicated team of supporters, noting that his petitions had more than 1,600 signatures, far more than needed.

And that, he said in a social media post, was a "clear sign" of energy and momentum.

At the same time, an open congressional seat - even in a special election - generally draws a lot of interest. Just look at the Dems.

With Hathaway the only Republican running, is it possible Republicans are still reeling from a very bad November? In other words, why plunge so quickly into another race when you're still trying to cope with the last one?

Asked about that, Hathaway responded in the contrary.

Instead of being despondent, he said Republicans should be excited and motivated to turn things around. He said that a GOP win in CD-11, a Democratic-leaning district, would have "national implications' leading into the midterms next November.

* * *

The very crowded Democratic field will not include Donald Cresitello, the former mayor of Morristown.

Cresitello's suit to extend Monday's 4 p.m. filing deadline failed. Turns out he got about 200 signatures while 500 were needed.

He said that raises another issue.

Cresitello said the 500-signature requirement, which was recently established, puts too much of a burden on those who want to run. He said getting on the ballot should be relatively easy, not difficult.

He called his point the "Andy Kim argument."  Kim, then a congressman, challenged the state's political structure in 2024, culminating in the courts throwing out the "county line," and thereby the power of county organizations to essentially control primaries.

Cresitello said reducing the congressional petition requirement back to 200 would be in line with the movement Kim, now a senator, began.

He will not be in the race, but Cresitello said he was still happy to see that 13 people are running, concluding that many are challenging "the machine." By that, he meant candidate Brendan Gill, who has endorsements from many prominent Essex County Democrats.

* * *

Tahesha Way, the lieutenant governor, is in the race, something that was not certain a week ago.

Many observers, rightly or wrongly, see the frontrunners as Gill and former Rep. Tom Malinowski.

Does Way change that?

Those who say "no" can point to the fact her home county of Passaic makes up a very small part of CD-11 - Little Falls, Totowa, Woodland Park and part of Wayne.

Also, the LG may be known to politicians, but the post has a very low visibility among average people.

As to the other side of the argument, I recall what I heard a seasoned observer say during the recent League convention in Atlantic City.

That is, a black woman in a Democratic primary is destined to get a lot of votes.