After a long and rigorous campaign for both Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, the race came to a close with a historic female democratic win on Nov. 4. After both candidates won the primary election on June 10, the period after was non-stop with both of their teams working hard, canvassing and campaigning for the country’s viewing.
Mikie Sherill, a Navy helicopter pilot and congresswoman, faced opponent Jack Ciattarelli, a businessman and former member of the state assembly. Throughout the campaign, negative backlash has been thrown from both parties, including two of the major ones: Mikie Sherrill’s graduation scandal and Ciattarelli’s opioid crisis. After the debates and leading up to the election, polls by Quinnipiac and Suffolk University revealed Sherrill led by a slight margin. Despite the numbers, mail-in voters and early voters, it all came down to Election Day. Hours after polls closed, Sherill was named the projected winner and is now the N.J. governor-elect. According to CNN data, Sherill won 56.9% with about 99% of the votes in.
Since then, Sherill has worked hard behind the scenes to form her team. She just recently named her lieutenant governor, Dr. Dale Caldwell, the head of her transition team, and Kellie Doucette as an Executive director. Throughout the course of this campaign, and according to Sherill’s website, on her first day as governor, she will issue a State of Emergency on utility costs and freeze expensive utility rates. The day after the election, Sherill met with outgoing democratic governor Phil Murphy to discuss a smooth transition of power. Sherill and her team have worked tirelessly to ensure a stable transition so she can provide a safer and more affordable New Jersey.
In an exclusive interview with The Wire directly via email, Governor-elect Sherill addressed the New Jersey affordability crisis, specifically regarding the importance of students staying in state after graduation.
“As governor, I am committed to expanding the first-time homebuyer assistance to make the American dream of homeownership a reality again for our young people, investing and expanding our public transit across the state and working with the private sector to create more good-paying jobs,” Sherill said.
As a mother of four, Sherill knows the importance of online safety and, throughout her campaign, has proposed a plan to protect children online and prioritize schooling for the youth.
“As governor, I am committed to passing my online safety agenda to hold Big Tech accountable for the content they push on children,” Sherill said. “I also ran on the promise to fully fund our schools so kids have the resources they need to compete as they enter the 21st-century workforce.”
She has claimed she is not afraid to stand up and join court cases against President Trump, including ones regarding his tariff prices and federal funding. In keeping up with her pre-established anti-Trump campaign, she has stood up against the cancellation of the Gateway project, which aims to build rail tunnels into Manhattan.
“I pledged to take the Trump campaign to court to claw back our federal funds for projects like the Gateway Tunnel,” Sherill said. “But I also recognize the need to work with our congressional delegation and leaders in Washington to bring back our tax dollars for critical projects for our state, and I’m looking forward to working with my former colleagues to do just that.”
As a governor ready to create change, Sherill said she is excited to take on an additional responsibility as governor and prioritize all residents. In her first 100 days in office, she aims to focus on making New Jersey more affordable, protecting the youth online and standing up to President Trump.
