Race to watch: What to know about Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate

Because her father’s job required frequent relocation, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in New Jersey, was raised in cities up and down the East Coast.

Her grandfather, a World War II veteran, inspired her to join the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, she said. Sherrill spent almost 10 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy and was deployed to Europe and the Middle East.

She graduated from Georgetown University Law School, and served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey.

In 2018, Sherrill was elected to Congress in New Jersey’s 11th District in her first ever run for office. She and her husband, Jason, live in Montclair, New Jersey, and have four children.

Top priorities

Affordability is one of the top priorities in Sherrill’s platform. In June, the average utility bill in New Jersey rose 20% because of increased electric demand and a backlog of new power applications at the PJM Interconnection grid, which covers all or parts of 13 states and Washington, D.C.

“So for example, I’m going to declare a state of emergency on utility costs on day one to freeze rate hikes, which have been enormous across the state,” she said.

She said as demand for electricity has been rising, Garden State families are feeling the burden.

“What we have to do is put an immense amount of power in, but we also have to drive down carbon emissions as we do so,” Sherrill said.

Another top priority is protecting the state’s children, she said.

“Making sure we’re taking care of our kids, they have a great education, they’re safe online and they have a good future and opportunity here in the state,” Sherrill said.

She said the Garden State has some of the top-ranked schools in the nation, but in some areas, schools are getting a failing grade.

“We need to make sure that across this state every child has access to a great education,” she said. “We can do better, whether it’s through some county-based system where schools aren’t performing well, or specific STEM education schools, we can push in things like high-intensity tutoring if students fall behind.”

Standardized test results show U.S. students trailing behind their peers from other developed nations. STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, has been a focal point in improving America’s education systems.

Sherrill also plans to address the mental health crisis among students.

While the most recent data available shows New Jersey has one of the lowest teen suicide rates in the nation, 5.3 per 100,000, studies have found an increase in stress, anxiety and depression.

“A lot of it is fueled by social media,” Sherrill said. “So as governor, I’m going to take on online safety for our kids so we can drive better outcomes for all of our children.”

Sherrill also wants to make the state government more efficient and accountable to taxpayers.

“That you know how long your permitting time is going to take, that if there’s a problem with it, people are getting back to you,” she said. “That you have support in opening up your small business, cutting through red tape and permitting delays.”

Keeping New Jersey moving forward

Sherrill said improving NJ Transit is critically important. NJ Transit is the third-largest mass transit system in the nation and moves about 720,000 people across the state every day, on buses, trains and light rail.

“It’s been difficult for commuters across the state, in fact my husband is a commuter,” she said. “For years, it’s been a crapshoot sometimes, so as governor, I’m going to make sure we are pushing all of the people in our transit systems to maintain and improve how we move people around the state.”

Sherrill said she also wants to work on housing affordability. Home and rent prices in the Garden State have increased 50% over the past five years. According to the most recent data available, the median sales price of a single family home in Jersey has increased from $337,000 five years ago to $513,000 in 2024.

“I’m really going to push into transit-oriented development, to ensure that people are able to afford homes here in New Jersey,” she said, “That seniors are able to retire here and stay here to watch their grandkids grow up.”

Sherrill said she supports the ANCHOR property tax relief program and the Stay NJ program that will cut property taxes for homeowners 65 and older.

“Here in New Jersey, it’s really hard to afford to stay in your home on a fixed income,” she said. “You can budget for your retirement, but property taxes just go up every year. We need to stabilize that so seniors can stay here, see their grandkids grow and really provide the support that all of our families need.”

Protecting Constitutional rights

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade three years ago. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, abortion is now illegal in 12 states, and the fight over abortion access is still taking place in some states. Sherrill said a woman’s right to choose and LBGTQ+ rights must be protected.

She said she has served her entire life and taken oaths on numerous occasions to uphold the Constitution for all citizens, including the most vulnerable.

“I think that’s a sign of a healthy community, when you care for vulnerable people and that’s something I’ll always do,” she said. “I don’t think that stands in contrast with my constant focus on lowering costs for families. I think a good governor will do both.”

She said her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, has no plan to protect vulnerable residents and no specific plan to cut state government costs.

“He is just kind of barreling along with Donald Trump’s agenda, which is raising costs on everyone here in the Garden State,” she said.

Room for improvement

Sherrill believes the state can do better in supporting the state’s immigrant community. According to the Pew Research Center, 475,000 undocumented immigrants are living in New Jersey.

She said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have caused fear and confusion, and many Jersey residents are worried about neighbors and friends.

“Here in New Jersey, we’re going to follow the law and we’re going to follow the Constitution,” she said. “We’re going to make sure people feel safe in public, and we’re going to use our public safety officers to do just that.”

Sherrill said addressing climate change is also one of her goals.

New Jersey is one of the states most at risk from climate change, and the Trump administration has significantly cut resiliency programs along the shore. She said the governor’s job is to support resiliency efforts. She added that criminal justice reform in New Jersey is also a work in progress.

“We put programs in place but then we don’t check in on whether or not they’re working,” she said. “We’ve made some really good efforts on things like bail reform, but we really have to continue that these programs are still delivering the outcomes we want.”

Sherrill said that means instituting programs to make sure people charged with a crime show up for their court dates.

She said rules stopping underage use of marijuana have not been properly followed in some instances, and as a former federal prosecutor she would ensure that prosecutors have the tools they need to enforce the law and engage in community outreach programs to keep young people on track.

A budget too big

She said New Jersey’s current $58.78 billion state spending plan is too big.

“Here in New Jersey, we need a really smart budget so we have to invest in things that are so important, like health care and education, but it must be responsible,” she said. “When we don’t, we’re really creating huge debt and mortgaging our children’s future.”

She calls herself a “good old-fashioned Democrat.”

“I just want to support working people, support families and make life easier for people here in New Jersey,” she said.

She said that, from the beginning of her campaign, she has focused on how she will fight back against economic attacks from the Trump administration that have cut support for Medicaid and caused price increases linked to tariffs.

“Why should New Jerseyans feel economic pain because Donald Trump gets in some political battle with the head of Brazil and raises the cost of coffee beans? It makes zero sense,” she said.

Sherrill said many New Jerseyans are facing tough times, and that’s why she’s running for governor.

“So I can make sure that as we see the attacks from Donald Trump in Washington, as we look at how Trenton needs to step up and work better for families, I’m going to be a governor that leads on both those efforts, to make your life easier, lower your costs and provide a great future to your kids,” she said.

Sherrill has been endorsed for governor by several labor unions, including the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and the Health Professionals and Allied Employees. She has also been endorsed by the New Jersey Education Association, the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, the Latina Civic PAC and the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund.