PARSIPPANY — New Jersey Senator Andy Kim joined residents at the Parsippany PAL on Saturday evening for a public “Democracy Discussion,” where he introduced former Congressman Tom Malinowski as a candidate in the upcoming special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.
The seat is being vacated by Mikie Sherrill, now Governor-elect of New Jersey. Malinowski is one of several Democrats running in the February 2026 primary to replace her.
Senator Kim and Malinowski became friends during their time serving at the U.S. State Department. Malinowski served as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, while Kim was an advisor on Afghanistan.
Addressing the crowd, Malinowski shared personal reflections about his early life growing up under a dictatorship in 1970s Poland. He spoke of the challenges his family faced in dealing with corruption simply to gain permission to leave the country in search of freedom and opportunity in the United States. That experience, he said, shaped his lifelong commitment to defending democracy and human rights.
“While serving at the State Department, I never imagined I would later have to confront attacks on democracy here at home,” Malinowski said.
During his time in Congress representing New Jersey’s 7th District, Malinowski championed infrastructure, small business, and national security efforts. He helped secure funding for the Gateway Tunnel and Portal Bridge projects, directed federal pandemic aid to local governments to prevent property tax hikes, and supported emergency relief for small businesses.
He was also a leader in the fight against domestic extremism and foreign corruption. Malinowski introduced legislation to seize Russian assets in support of Ukraine and took an early stand in calling for President Trump’s first impeachment for withholding aid to Ukraine for political gain.
He held 140 town hall meetings over four years and served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and as Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District will take place on Thursday, February 5, 2026. Early voting runs from Thursday, January 29 through Tuesday, February 3.
The general election is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2026, with early voting available from Monday, April 6 through Tuesday, April 14.
