Rep. Analilia Mejia, D-N.J., was sworn into the 119th Congress on Monday evening, filling the vacancy left by Gov. Mikie Sherrill and bringing the current House breakdown to 217 Republicans and 213 Democrats following the death of Rep. David Scott.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., administered the oath at the request of Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J. Mejia used her late father’s Bible from the Dominican Republic during the ceremony and received a standing ovation from colleagues. In remarks on the House floor, she referenced the 14th Amendment and pledged to defend constitutional rights. She then signed a discharge petition related to labor law reform and cast a vote on legislation addressing 9-1-1 system outages.

Mejia secured the seat in an April 16 special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway by roughly 20 points. Her margin exceeded Kamala Harris’ 2024 performance in the district. She previously won a crowded Democratic primary that included former Rep. Tom Malinowski.

The 48-year-old lawmaker is a progressive activist and former national political director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign. She is the daughter of a Dominican factory worker and a Colombian seamstress and previously worked with the Working Families Party. Her victory keeps the North Jersey district in Democratic hands after Sherrill first flipped it in 2018.

Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, resigned from Congress after winning New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial race and taking office in January 2026, creating the vacancy Mejia now fills through January 2027.

The House composition now stands at 217 Republicans, 213 Democrats, and one independent aligned with Republicans, with additional vacancies still outstanding. Republicans effectively hold a four-seat edge over Democrats, giving the majority slightly more room to maneuver than in a one-vote margin scenario, though internal divisions can still affect outcomes.

Speaker Johnson can still afford limited defections on party-line votes, but the narrow majority continues to complicate passage of major legislation, including surveillance reauthorization and homeland security funding. The temporary absence of Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has also added pressure to the vote counting.

Mejia has indicated she will run for a full term and emphasized a focus on constituent communication and oversight of federal policy decisions.