NJ-11 special Democratic nominee?
$2.3M
JAN 1, 2027Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleCouncil Member
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
GenderMale
LocationNew Jersey
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BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Richmond School of Law (J.D., 1996)
Notable personal detailsDean Dafis is a Maplewood, New Jersey Township Committee member and served as mayor from 2022 to 2023. He works for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs as a director overseeing housing-instability and homelessness-prevention efforts. Dafis is an attorney and has been active in LGBTQ advocacy, including work connected to marriage equality and efforts to ban conversion therapy. He became a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District for the 2026 cycle.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports reversing the 2017 tax cuts for billionaires, restoring the SALT deduction for New Jersey families, and redirecting revenue to strengthen public services and working-class programs. Advocates changing the tax code to favor working-class Americans and reinvesting in education, housing, and other public services.
Healthcare
Supports major public expansions of health coverage, including past support for Medicare for All and more recently campaigning for a public option to expand access and affordability. Centers public health in policy priorities and frames health coverage as part of a broader safety-net for working families.
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Immigration & Border
Supports a pro-immigrant, humanitarian framing of immigration and criticizes harsh enforcement practices used under prior administrations; emphasizes that the United States is a nation of immigrants and expresses concern about immigrants being detained or targeted. No detailed immigration-policy proposals (e.g., pathway to citizenship or specific enforcement changes) are listed on his campaign site.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports reproductive freedom and opposes rollback of abortion rights, calling for continued advocacy to protect women’s autonomy and access to care. Campaign materials emphasize protecting rights and public health for women and LGBTQ+ communities.
Climate & Energy
Supports an aggressive clean-energy agenda including restarting New Jersey’s offshore wind program, ending reliance on fossil fuels, exploring modular nuclear reactors, holding oil and gas corporations accountable for climate damage, and pursuing large-scale climate mitigation and coastal protection investments. Advocates for policies that reduce carbon footprints at the local level and require polluters to pay for Superfund and other environmental cleanups.
Public Safety & Guns
Dean Dafis supports stronger gun safety measures and has called for removing guns from public spaces and for gun reform to reduce community gun violence. In local roles he has participated in gun-violence-awareness actions and cited gun control as a component of public safety. He has also aligned with local efforts and organizations that advocate limits on illegal or unsafe firearms access.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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