MORRISTOWN - The first - and so far - only poll to become public in the CD-11 race was taken by the Malinowski campaign.

It shows Tom Malinowski in the lead with 28 percent support to 12 percent for Brendan Gill who is in second place.

None of the other candidates in what is a 12-person field are in double digits.

Malinowski - a former congressman, of course - has the highest name recognition. It's at 63 percent, according to the poll. Gill, an Essex County Commissioner, was at 40 percent.

This poll probably was on the minds of the candidates Tuesday night as many of them attended the Morris County Democrats' holiday party at a local brew pub.

Asked about the poll, Gill said he was not troubled by it. In fact, he saw some good news in it.

His take was that Malinowski's name recognition in the district should be higher than 63 percent, considering the fact he served four years in Congress and spent campaign money lavishly.

Malinowski represented the 7th District, which lies to the west of CD-11, which covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties. The primary is set for Feb. 5.

"I like where I am," in the race, Gill said.

Another CD-11 candidate working the room, Tahesha Way, the lieutenant governor, also said her campaign was doing well. ( Of course. I've yet to hear a candidate say, "Our campaign really stinks. We're going to get killed.") Campaigning aside, this was indeed a happy party for Morris Dems.

As county chair Darcy Draeger told the crowd:

"Thanks to you, we won Morris County for Mikie Sherrill."

Sherrill, who represented part of Morris in Congress, won the county by about 5,000 votes.

Draeger continued with the accolades.

"Where is Marisa Sweeney?"

She was in the back of the room. Sweeney made local political history by winning an Assembly seat in LD-25, the first Democrat to do so in almost 50 years.

Sweeney raised her hand and enjoyed the cheers.

Draeger expressed confidence the good times will continue. The priority now, she said, is to unseat CD-7 Rep. Tom Kean Jr.

A number of CD-7 candidates were also in the room, although at the moment that race is being overshadowed by the more imminent CD-11 contest.

Kean is a tough opponent. Democrats and other critics lambaste him for avoiding public events, but the district, which covers western Morris, tilts Republican registration wise. Kean won the district in

2022 - beating Malinowski - and was reelected in 2024.

There also is a court battle ahead stemming from the recent election.

Republican Mayor Jamie Barberio is challenging his Nov. 4 defeat to Democrat Pulkit Desai.

In a suit filed last week, lawyers for Barberio claim the race was "improperly certified" because of a "224 vote discrepancy between the number of vote by mail ballots received and vote by mail ballots counted."

Desai beat Barberio by 80 votes

A trial on Barberio's claim is set for Jan 5 in state Superior Court, Morristown.

Desai, who was at the party, dismissed the challenge as Barberio throwing "the kitchen sink" at him to overturn the election.

He was also defiant.

When all is said and done, Desai said he plans to sue Barberio for, at a minimum, his legal fees.

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