Politics & Government
Mikie Sherrill Declares Run For NJ Governor In 2025
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill has officially thrown her hat into the ring for the governor election in New Jersey.

NEW JERSEY — U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill has officially thrown her hat into the ring for the 2025 governor election in New Jersey.
New Jersey will be saying farewell to Gov. Phil Murphy as he reaches his term limit next year. There is a large and growing field of candidates seeking to replace him, although not all have name recognition among the majority of voters, a recent poll says. See Related: Governor Who? NJ Voters Murky On Candidates For 2025, Poll Says
Candidates include Ras Baraka, Steve Fulop, Sean Spiller, Stephen Sweeney and Josh Gottheimer (Democrats), Roger Bacon, Jon Bramnick, Robert Canfield, Jack Ciattarelli, Edward Durr, James Fazzone, Hans Herberg and Bill Spadea (Republicans), and independents Gerardo Cedrone and Karen Zaletel.
Find out what's happening in Montclairfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Sherrill is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a former helicopter aircraft commander who served in the Navy for nearly 10 years. She also worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney and holds a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, a master’s degree in global history from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a law degree from Georgetown University.
The congresswoman was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, replacing veteran Republican powerhouse Rodney Frelinghuysen and flipping the district blue. She was recently re-elected to her seat in New Jersey's 11th District. See Related: NJ-11 Election Results: Mikie Sherrill Wins, AP Projects
Find out what's happening in Montclairfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Sherrill is the second Congress member from New Jersey to announce a gubernatorial run in the span of a week. See Related: Josh Gottheimer Announces Run For Governor, Saying NJ Is Too Expensive
In her announcement video, Sherrill highlighted her plan to “bring new leadership and a fresh perspective to New Jersey to build more housing, grow the economy, lower costs for families, and defend our freedoms.”
Sherrill’s team recapped some other achievements and priorities in her campaign announcement:
“As a mother of four, Mikie is a strong voice in Congress for New Jersey families. Mikie is working hard to bring down costs — whether it’s grocery prices, child care, or Trump’s SALT cap that punished New Jerseyans. After constant roadblocks from the Christie and Trump administrations, Mikie helped deliver New Jersey’s fair share of federal funding on the Gateway Tunnel Project — the single-largest infrastructure project in American history, which will create good-paying union jobs and reduce commute times. She is fighting for reproductive freedom, defending abortion rights, as well as access to contraception and IVF. She sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.”
Sherrill is planning a road trip this week to kick off her gubernatorial campaign. Her first stop will be Eva’s Village in Paterson to visit with New Jerseyans in need along with Mayor Andre Sayegh. Then, Mikie will meet with LiUNA members working at the Rutgers Cancer Institute construction project in New Brunswick. Next, she will speak with patients and providers at the Visiting Nurses Association’s (VNA) Red Bank Community Health Center. Finally, Tuesday’s tour will end in Atlantic City with the New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association — the state’s largest firefighters union.
New Jersey's 11th Congressional District includes the following municipalities:
Essex County – Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair (part), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange, West Caldwell
Morris County – Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Twp (part), Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens
Passaic County – Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne (part), Woodland Park
Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.