Progressive organizer Analilia Mejia has won the Democratic nomination for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District after her closest rival, former Rep. Tom Malinowski, conceded Tuesday in the closely watched special primary race.

The seat was previously held by Mikey Sherill, who was elected governor in November.

In a statement posted publicly, Malinowski acknowledged Mejia’s victory and said he plans to support her in the April 16 general election. “I congratulate Analilia Mejia on her hard-won victory in the NJ-11 special primary,” he said, adding that he looks forward to backing her candidacy.

Malinowski’s concession marked the end of a tumultuous primary that saw fluctuating vote tallies and a late surge by Mejia. Early on, some outlets and party officials prematurely projected Malinowski as the winner, only to retract their calls as more votes were counted.

Mejia’s seeming triumph is the most significant victory yet for New Jersey’s progressive movement in recent years. The candidate, a longtime activist and former director of the Working Families Alliance in the state, drew national attention with endorsements from progressive figures. She was backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), among others.

Malinowski’s concession statement also drew sharp criticism of outside spending in the race. “But the outcome of this race cannot be understood without also taking into account the massive flood of dark money that AIPAC spent on dishonest ads during the last three weeks,” he said, referring to pro-Israel political action committee spending aimed at his campaign.

He detailed that the ads had confused voters, quoting his own conversations on the campaign trail: “I met several voters in the final days of the campaign who had seen the ads and asked me, sincerely: ‘Are you MAGA? Are you for ICE?’”

Malinowski also warned that he would oppose any candidate backed by AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobbying group, in future elections, saying that “the threat unlimited dark money poses to our democracy is far more significant than the views of a single member of Congress on Middle East policy.”

Mejia’s campaign built momentum in the crowded 11-candidate field by focusing on grassroots organizing and national progressive principles. Her platform has included calls for major reforms to immigration policy, drawing both fierce support and criticism.

As the district heads toward the April general election, Mejia is expected to face Republican Joe Hathaway, who ran unopposed in his party’s primary.