Tally of Votes for Endorsement
After a three-hour virtual convention led by Chairman LeRoy Jones and Vice-Chair Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, Essex County Democratic committee members cast their votes to determine the party's endorsement for New Jersey's 11th Congressional District. In the final tally of 258 votes, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill secured 132 votes to win the endorsement, while 90 committee members voted to abstain. The remaining votes were distributed among other candidates in the 12-person field, with former Rep. Tom Malinowski receiving 17 votes, Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett and Maplewood Committeeman Dean Dafis each receiving 6 votes, Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way and Analilia Mejia each receiving 3 votes, and former congressional staffer Marc Chaaban receiving 1 vote.
The convention faced criticism for its rapid timeline—held just one day after the candidate filing deadline. However, Chairman LeRoy Jones defended the schedule as necessary to meet the December 4 deadline for ballot slogan changes, ensuring the endorsement would appear on February 5 primary ballots.