New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) began campaigning for the state's gubernatorial race on Monday, joining an already crowded Democratic primary field for the 2025 race.
“We can also be the nation that sets the gold standards for protecting rights and freedoms, and we know they will come under attack from President Donald Trump's Washington,” Sherrill said. .Announcement video. “In New Jersey, we do this because we love our country, we are proud of our state, and we value our freedoms.”
Sherrill is a former federal prosecutor and former Navy helicopter commander who represents the state's 11th Congressional District, a suburb of New York City.
She was expected to jump into the race to replace Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is retiring this month. Her announcement came days after fellow New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D) launched his candidacy for the governor's mansion on Friday. Other candidates include former New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney (D), Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop (D), former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller (D), and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D). Democratic Party).
A number of Republicans are also in the ring, including state Sen. John Bramnick, former state Sen. Jack Ciatarelli, former state Sen. Ed Dahl, and radio host Bill Spadia.
Murphy narrowly defeated Ciatarelli in the 2021 gubernatorial race by about 3 points.
The announcement came after Vice President Harris' poor performance in the Garden State, typically considered a Democratic stronghold. Harris defeated President-elect Donald Trump in the state by just over five points.
