MIKIE BEATS JACK: Sherrill Defeats Ciattarelli, Making History as New Jersey’s Next Governor

Democrat Mikie Sherrill has won the New Jersey gubernatorial race, defeating Republican Jack Ciattarelli, according to projections from Decision Desk HQ.

The victory marks a major milestone for the Garden State, with Sherrill set to become New Jersey’s second woman — and the first Democratic woman — to hold the governor’s office.

A former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, Sherrill first gained national attention in 2018 when she flipped a Republican seat in northern New Jersey during President Donald Trump’s first term. Her campaign this year emphasized economic relief, affordability, and restoring stability, while her opponent, Ciattarelli, a three-time GOP gubernatorial contender and former state assemblyman, leaned heavily on his close alliance with Trump.

Polls showed a close race between the two candidates, with Sherrill holding a single-digit lead over Ciattarelli in the final stretch of the race. That narrow margin reflected the tense mood in New Jersey, where cost-of-living concerns and the national political climate fueled a heated contest to the finish line.

The election was widely viewed as an indicator of the country’s broader sentiment less than a year into Trump’s second term. Once considered a reliably Democratic stronghold, New Jersey saw a pronounced shift toward Republicans in recent years, driven by working-class voters and non-White communities drawn to Trump’s populist message. In 2021, Ciattarelli came within three percentage points of unseating Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, who was unable to seek re-election due to term limits.

Sherrill’s path to political prominence began long before her entry into public office. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994, she became part of the first generation of women permitted to fly combat missions. She served nine years in the Navy before earning a law degree from Georgetown University, later joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark, where she worked as a prosecutor before turning to politics.

Her early congressional career placed her among a cohort of moderate Democrats with military and intelligence backgrounds. That group included figures such as Elissa Slotkin, who won a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan, and Abigail Spanberger, now running for governor in Virginia. Like her peers, Sherrill has built a reputation as a pragmatic lawmaker with a focus on security, bipartisanship, and middle-class issues.

The first woman governor of New Jersey was Republican Christine Todd Whitman, who served from 1994 to 2001. With her victory, Sherrill joins Whitman in breaking barriers — this time from the opposite side of the political spectrum — as she prepares to lead a deeply divided state at a pivotal moment in national politics.

{Matzav.com}