TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Democratic voters voted to pick their party's candidate from a crowded field in Thursday's special election for the U.S. House seat that was opened up by Mikie Sherrill's victory in the race for governor.

Polls closed in the evening for the competitive Democratic primary, which stemmed from the resignation by Sherrill, also a Democrat, after she won the governorship last year. The winner will face Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, on April 16.

Among the leading Democrats seeking the nomination was former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who lost a bid for reelection in a different district in 2022. He had the endorsement of New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim, who has built support among progressive groups.

Brendan Gill, an elected commissioner in Essex County, one of New Jersey's most populous, has close ties to former Gov. Phil Murphy, whose first campaign for governor he managed.

Analilia Mejia, a onetime head of the Working Families Alliance in the state and political director for Vermont independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, had his endorsement, as well as that of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York.

Tahesha Way, who served as lieutenant governor and secretary of state for two terms under Murphy until last month, was also in the race.

The other candidates were John Bartlett, Zach Beecher, J-L Cauvin, Marc Chaaban, Cammie Croft, Dean Dafis, Jeff Grayzel, Justin Strickland and Anna Lee Williams.

The district covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey, including some of New York City's wealthier suburbs.

The special primary and April general election will determine who serves the remainder of Sherrill's term, which ends next January. There will be a regular primary in June and general election in November for the next two-year term.

Sherrill represented the district for four terms after her election in 2018. She won despite the region's historical loyalty to the GOP, a dynamic that began to shift during President Donald Trump's first term.