Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the Democratic primary for governor of New Jersey on Tuesday night, making the former Naval helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor the first statewide Democratic nominee of President Donald Trump’s second term in office.
Sherrill, a mainstream Democrat who was first elected to the House in 2018, triumphed in a crowded primary, defeating avowed centrist Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney.
All six major candidates had substantial financial backing, with almost $88 million spent on television ads between the Democratic and Republican primaries.
Sherrill was not the top spender in the race, with only about $12 million in ad support, but she stood out for being the only woman in the field and for convincing voters she was equipped to stand up to Trump. Her closing ads emphasized she had the “courage to fight” and the “strength to win.”
Though New Jersey is traditionally a solidly blue state, Democrats are not taking the race for granted. Trump made significant gains with the state’s working class and Latino voters in the 2024 election, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) only narrowly won reelection in 2021.
