The race in CD-11 was pretty hot news back in February - back when the number of candidates seeking to replace Mikie Sherrill reached double-digits.

With AIPAC - American Israel Public Affairs Committee - effectively destroying Tom Malinowski's bid to return to Congress, Analilia Mejia emerged victorious and secured the Democratic nomination.

Two months later, she won the seat rather easily over Republican Joseph Hathaway in a special election.

Now the rematch looms. For most observers, this is an under the radar race for two basic reasons.

Mejia won by about 20 points.

And the district ranging over parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties leans Democratic by about 65,000 voters.

Hathaway faces tough odds, but he seems undaunted, making the central point that Mejia, who comes from the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party, is just too left wing for the mostly suburban district.

The Republican's Facebook page shows that just a few days ago he visited three shops in Parsippany to criticize Mejia's proposal for a $25 an hour minimum wage.

"From Lazy Café to Wash-N-Wag to Gourmet Cafe, I heard firsthand how rising costs, burdensome regulations, and proposals like a $25 federal minimum wage are making it harder to stay open and grow," he said.

In fairness, while Mejia has advocated a $25 minimum, she acknowledges it is something that would occur over time.

The state's hourly minimum is almost $16, but the federal minimum is $7.25, and hasn't been changed since 2009. The federal minimum applies in states that have not adopted a higher state minimum.

Mejia just posted a video reminding one and all that it's been 100 days since she was sworn into Congress. Who's counting? Guess she is.

The Nov. 3 election is also a little bit less than 100 days away.

Mejia took credit for bringing "unbought, unbossed leadership to Washington."

She added:

"I’ve co-sponsored more than 80 bills to deliver Medicare for All, college for all, universal child care and paid leave, protect voting and LGBTQ+ rights, reform the Supreme Court, lower costs, ban congressional stock trading, and overturn Citizens United.

These aren’t radical ideas. They’re practical solutions for working families.
But I haven’t just stood with you. I’ve led. In my first week, I introduced legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour. Today, it has a Senate companion.
I launched the 14th Amendment Task Force to defend due process, equal protection, and birthright citizenship.
I’ve also held ICE accountable as it operates like a rogue agency that has turned its guns on its own people.
Even when a vote is politically difficult, I’ll do what’s right."