New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday set the special election to complete his successor Mikie Sherrill’s unexpired House term for April 16, giving candidates a little over a week to gather signatures to appear on the primary ballot.

The primary for voters to pick party nominees in New Jersey’s 11th District is scheduled for Feb. 5. To make the primary ballot, candidates need to file by Dec. 1 – just over a week away and right after the Thanksgiving holiday – and submit 500 valid signatures. 

Sherrill, whose resignation took effect at midnight, was elected New Jersey governor earlier this month. She defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 14 points. 

Several candidates have already announced campaigns for the North Jersey district, where  Sherrill won a fourth term last fall by 15 points. District voters also backed Kamala Harris by 9 points, according to calculations by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, leaving Democrats in a favored position for the special election.

Sherrill has not weighed in on the race for her successor, but Murphy has backed Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, his former campaign manager. New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim endorsed former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who represented the neighboring 7th District for two terms and, like Kim and Sherrill, was first elected to Congress in 2018.

Other Democrats running include Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett; former Army paratrooper Zach Beecher; former Capitol Hill aide Marc Chaaban; former White House aide Cammie Croft; Maplewood Township Committee Person Dean Dafis; Morris Township Deputy Mayor Jeff Grayzel; Chatham Borough Council Member Justin Strickland; and political newcomer Anna Lee Williams. Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way is also expected to launch a campaign, the New Jersey Globe reported. 

Republicans on Friday pushed back on Murphy’s quick timeline. Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway is the only GOP candidate to announce a campaign so far. 

“Governor Murphy’s special election timeline is blatant political corruption designed to protect Democratic insiders and silence voters,” Maureen O’Toole, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement. “By setting a ballot deadline to just after the Thanksgiving holiday, he’s denying access for anyone outside the political machine to qualify and give voters a real choice at the ballot box.”

Inside Elections rates the race for New Jersey’s 11th District Solid Democratic.