MOUNT ARLINGTON - It was Sunday. And it was brutally cold.

Many of the 11 Democrats seeking the party's nod in CD-11 were, nonetheless, canvassing for votes door-to-door. Brendan Gill called it a "weekend of action."

Tom Malinowski had a "meet and greet" in Parsippany. John Bartlett had a GOTV breakfast in Wayne. Analilia Mejia had a town hall in Dover. Tahesha Way was in Montclair for a rally.

Joe Hathaway, meanwhile, was relaxing with his family, having a bite to eat and something to drink.

Hathaway is the only Republican running in Thursday's primary, meaning he will be the GOP candidate in the April 16 special election.

This allows him to get out the popcorn and watch the Dems fight it out.

Or on this day, eat some hot dogs. Hathaway and a few hundred other Republicans were at the Lake Hopatcong Elks Lodge Sunday for Morris County Clerk Ann Grossi's annual "Big Game" party the week before the Super Bowl. Besides Hathaway, the event drew Anthony M. Bucco, the Senate Minority Leader, and GOP Assembly members Aura Dunn, Dawn Fantasia and Mike Inganamort. The menu was pretty basic - hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans and beer.

So, who does Hathaway want to run against?

"On our side  we're going to be ready for whoever comes out on top," he said. "Our message hasn't changed. This race is about common sense, practical government, government that works on the local level."

Hathaway does not see that on the other side.

'What we're seeing in this primary is (that) every single one of them is running far to the left  - running on socialist ideological platforms." He said that's not the way to help families in the mostly suburban 11th District, who need "real solutions" to everyday problems.

This is an odd election set-up. Whoever wins in April will have to run again in the midterm - beginning with the June primary.

Hathaway is the only Republican now, but it is possible more Republicans may get in the race in June.

"I don't see why they would," Hathaway said. "We've consolidated support on virtually every level of the Republican Party in the district," mentioning county chairs and many elected officials.