Dean Dafis Nixes Congress Campaign In NJ-11; 'The Fight Doesn't End,' Maplewood Councilman Says

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood town committee member Dean Dafis has surrendered his bid for a congress seat in New Jersey’s 11th district.

Dafis announced that he is ending his campaign to replace New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill on Thursday.

“While I am ending my campaign today, the work continues, the fight doesn’t end with one outcome,” he said. “It is critical that we keep NJ-11 blue in April, flip the House and Senate, and stand up to MAGA in Washington.”

Sherrill resigned from her seat in the 11th district as a condition of her election victory. The district spans dozens of towns in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties (see list below).

Dafis announced his candidacy as a Democrat in November, joining a large list of candidates who are seeking the job.

Dafis – a first-generation Greek-American, is Maplewood’s first openly LGBT representative for the township committee, which he alluded to in his latest campaign announcement.

“Making the decision to run is never easy, but as the son of immigrants, a provider of critical support to working families, and one of 400,000 LGBTQ+ New Jerseyans, this was deeply personal,” he wrote.

“I am very encouraged by the people I met all over the district with whom our message resonated – a public option for health care, investing in a mass transit system that works, funding our top-ranked public schools, and affordable housing that doesn't rely exclusively on lining the pockets of private developers,” Dafis said.

“Progress is incremental, and over time we will ensure that all working families have a more secure safety net,” he added.

New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District includes the following municipalities:

Essex County – Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair (part), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange, West Caldwell

Morris County – Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Twp (part), Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens

Passaic County – Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne (part), Woodland Park

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.