MORRISTOWN - On this breezy Saturday morning, CD-11 candidates Joe Hathaway and Analilia Mejia were only about 100 feet apart from each other.

They got no closer. A pity for those interested in an impromptu debate.

Hathaway, a Republican councilman in Randolph, and Mejia, the winner of a 11-person Democratic primary, both attended the Morristown St. Patrick's Day parade. They face off in an April 16 special election to replace Mikie Sherrill in Congress.

Dems hold a registration lead of more than 60,000 in a district that ranges over parts of Essex, Passaic and Morris counties. In another universe, this seat was held by Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen, but the local political vibe has changed since he retired in 2018. The district also became more Democratic-leaning after the 2020 Census.

Hathaway says Mejia, who was endorsed in the primary by Bernie Sanders, is too left wing and "radical" for what is mostly a suburban district.

He also says Mejia is ducking debates.

"We can do a debate in the middle of the parade," he said.

That was unlikely as the candidates did not interact. This was in the parking lot behind town hall, which served as a muster point for all the groups marching in the parade.

Mejia brushed off Hathaway's comments, saying that he is just throwing rocks - "small rocks" in fact.

When the parade began at noon, Mejia marched with the Morris County Democrats; Hathaway marched with a group of elected officials.

The parade is not a partisan event. Elected officials who march, regardless of party or office, are grouped together.

Mikie Sherrill, who has marched in the past, is away this weekend at a Democratic governors' event. So Dale Caldwell, the lieutenant governor, took her place.

Owing to the bipartisan nature of the day, Caldwell spent part of his pre-parade time chatting with Republican Morris County Commissioners Deborah Smith, Stephen Shaw and John Krickus.

As the parade took off, as is often the norm, the elected officials seemed to be unnoticed by the crowd.

This is not a knock on the officials, or the crowd.

But it does bring up a contradiction.

Times today are increasingly polarized. Yet, at the same time, some of the masses remain indifferent. Or perhaps, they just want to watch the pipe bands, the marching bands and the step dancers.

This is always a festive day. The streets are packed and the bars, of which there are many, hardly lack for customers.

LG Caldwell called it the "World Series" of St. Patrick's Day parades.