JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground
HTML
<div class="filterFeedItem" data-component-type="#somefilter">
</div>
JavaScript
var $container = $("body");
var $existingFilter1 = $container.find('.filterFeedItem[data-component-type=\\#somefilter]');
var $existingFilter2 = $container.find('.filterFeedItem[data-component-type="#somefilter"]');
var $existingFilter3 = $container.find('.filterFeedItem[data-component-type=' +$.escapeSelector('#somefilter') +']');
console.log("$existingFilter1:", $existingFilter1
, "$existingFilter2:", $existingFilter2
, "$existingFilter3:", $existingFilter3);