RANDOLPH - Joe Hathaway, the Republican mayor of this town, launched a run for Congress in the 11th District - Mikie Sherrill's district - a bit more than a month ago.

His plan was simple:

Jack Ciattarelli would become governor and Sherrill, presumably, would be a weakened candidate for reelection to the House next fall.

But that didn't happen.

But Hathaway is pressing on.
Here's what he said on social media the day after the election.

"Last night was tough, but moments like this define who we are and what comes next. Democrats just made Zohran Mamdani the face of their future -  a socialist vision built on government dependence instead of individual freedom and hard work. I believe the next generation of Republican leadership will look very different -  pragmatic, hardworking, and focused on real solutions for real people. I’m running for Congress because New Jersey deserves a workhorse who will fight for affordability, opportunity, and common sense - not ideology.”

Hathaway, so far, is seemingly the only Republican candidate in the race.

Democrats, meanwhile, are all over the three-county district (parts of Morris, Essex and Passaic) holding campaign launch parties.

Tom Malinowski was in a Millburn deli last Thursday, Justin Strickland was in Madison Sunday night and Brendan Gill was outside his childhood home in Montclair on Monday. Also running are Jeff Grayzel and John Bartlett.

Sherrill's win certainly changes the landscape.

It means a special election will be held early next year with the exact date contingent on when Sherrill formally resigns her House seat.

And whoever wins the special election will likely run next fall for a full, two-year term.

Some observers think Gill is the frontrunner in the primary, simply because he hails from Democratic-rich Essex County.

Hathaway, however, is zeroing in on Malinowski.

In a social media post, Hathaway, a former nose tackle for Yale University, condemns Malinowski as a partisan insider and a carpetbagger for running in CD-11 after serving four years in CD-7.

His old football position - smack in the middle of the defensive line - is not just a note on his political resume.

He says it shows that whether in football or public life, he's prepared to work hard in the trenches to get things done.