At a packed weekend organizing kickoff in Morris County, former congressman Tom Malinowski delivered a blunt message to volunteers and supporters: the political fight unfolding in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District is no longer being waged only by local campaigns and national parties, but by a rapidly expanding network of well-funded outside groups operating far beyond the state’s borders.
Speaking during a Saturday morning canvass launch at county Democratic headquarters, Malinowski told the crowd that many of the phone calls now flooding voters in the district are being generated from overseas call centers, complete with prepared scripts designed to attack his record and shape perceptions ahead of next week’s special Democratic primary.
“They’ve got call centers in India making phone calls to people with scripts,” Malinowski said, drawing both laughter and visible concern from the roughly 75 people gathered in the room.
He joked that his last name is often mispronounced on those calls—but quickly shifted the focus to what he described as a far more serious issue: the growing power of political spending that cannot be easily traced back to its original sources.
According to Malinowski, the contest to replace outgoing Representative Mikie Sherrill has become a real-world stress test for how dark money is deployed in competitive congressional races.
“This is a test case now for the midterm elections and the role dark money plays in our politics,” he told supporters.
Malinowski is one of 11 Democrats vying in Thursday’s special primary election to become the party’s nominee in New Jersey’s 11th District. The winner will advance to the general election scheduled for April 16. With the district considered one of the most closely watched suburban seats in the state, the outcome is already drawing national attention from advocacy groups, industry-aligned political organizations and outside spending networks.
The former lawmaker is attempting a return to Congress after previously serving in New Jersey’s 7th District. This time, he is seeking to represent a different region of the state—an unusual but increasingly common move as redistricting reshapes political maps and candidate opportunities.
While his own political comeback is drawing interest, Malinowski’s remarks made clear that his campaign now views the broader influence of outside money as one of the defining issues of the race.
In recent weeks, he has been the target of a costly advertising and messaging effort funded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, commonly known as AIPAC. Malinowski has repeatedly criticized the campaign, arguing that several of its claims are misleading or taken out of context.
One of the most controversial assertions, particularly amid today’s heightened national debate over immigration enforcement, is an allegation that Malinowski supports Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The claim is tied to a 2019 vote he cast while serving in Congress in support of a border-related funding measure. Malinowski has emphasized that every Democratic member of New Jersey’s House delegation voted the same way at the time.
He described the ad campaign as a flat-out distortion and warned supporters that it may represent only the opening phase of a broader strategy.
According to Malinowski, political organizations aligned with emerging industries—particularly cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence—are already preparing to invest heavily in similar negative advertising efforts in this year’s congressional contests. Rather than backing candidates directly, he said, these groups are increasingly focused on tearing down perceived obstacles to their policy agendas.
He cautioned that the pattern will not stop with this special election and could soon affect nearly every high-profile Democratic race in the state.
“This kind of spending is going to hit all of us,” he said, adding that even sitting U.S. senators are unlikely to be immune as outside groups expand their political footprint.
The warning carried particular weight inside the room, where one of New Jersey’s newest and most prominent political figures was seated just a few feet away.
Senator Andy Kim, who was elected to the U.S. Senate after previously serving three terms in the House, was the featured speaker at the event—and used the occasion to formally endorse Malinowski’s candidacy.
The two men were elected to Congress in 2018 and had known each other even before their first campaigns. Now, in 2026, Kim is publicly backing Malinowski as Democrats attempt to hold the open seat in a district that has become increasingly competitive.
Kim offered a candid explanation for his support.
“I need somebody who can just come in and just start kicking ass right away,” he said.
His endorsement underscored a central theme of Malinowski’s campaign: experience. With the special election calendar compressed and the general election following quickly, Democratic leaders are signaling that institutional knowledge and immediate effectiveness in Washington are critical advantages.
Whoever wins the April general election is expected to be seated in Congress shortly thereafter, with little time for orientation or legislative acclimation. Kim made clear that he believes Malinowski’s previous tenure would allow him to step directly into committee work and district advocacy without a learning curve.
The event also became a forum for broader national concerns, particularly immigration policy, which remains one of the most polarizing issues in federal politics.
Kim told the crowd that he believes the current administration is beginning to feel public and political pressure over the scope and tone of its enforcement strategy.
“They are feeling the pressure… the administration is feeling it,” Kim said, pointing to what he described as rising backlash from communities and lawmakers alike.
The discussion reflected a wider debate now shaping Democratic messaging across New Jersey, where suburban voters are increasingly focused on governance, accountability, and the influence of national political forces on local representation. The convergence of immigration policy, campaign finance, and outside political spending has turned the 11th District race into a closely watched bellwether.
For Malinowski, the concern is not simply about one campaign or one district.
He framed the special primary as an early warning for how future elections may unfold across the country—where sophisticated funding operations, offshore call centers and targeted negative messaging campaigns become standard tools for shaping outcomes without meaningful public transparency.
As New Jersey voters prepare to cast ballots next week, the race is rapidly becoming part of a larger conversation about election integrity, accountability and political influence—issues that continue to dominate coverage across Sunset Daily’s ongoing reporting on state and national politics.
In a district long associated with high turnout and close margins, the final days before the primary are now unfolding against a backdrop of national pressure, international campaign infrastructure and growing anxiety over how unseen money is reshaping the democratic process itself.
