A former navy officer, prosecutor and a mom of four kids, Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as the first female Democratic Governor of New Jersey on January 20, 2026.
Winning the New Jersey gubernatorial election by more than 400,000 votes, Sherrill set a historic record for receiving the highest number of votes for the governor’s election. The total number of votes was 1.83 million.
This victory broke the barrier of political polarization. In an email interview, Governor Sherrill said, “I’ve run five races in New Jersey and this one by far was the least partisan. Instead of people asking which party I am, their first question was how would I lower costs.”
“My administration will be laser focused on lowering costs and growing the economy in every way we can.”
Because of her growing concern for the political climate of the country, she filled out a questionnaire in 2017 on EMILY’S List, an organization dedicated to empowering female Democrats, according to New Jersey Globe online. Little did she know that this would be her entry into politics.
The organization recognized Sherrill’s potential. She ran in her first race for the 2018 election for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, and won the 11th congressional district by a margin of fifteen points.
This became historic as that seat had been strongly Republican, and the large margin was completely unexpected. Her entry in politics increased her popularity and made her a figure many Americans looked up to.
Sherrill noticed the difficulties of New Jerseyans. She said “People across our state are drowning under sky high bills.”
And that’s what led her to try her shot at the governor’s race. “I ran to build a more affordable Garden State with opportunity for all our communities.”
According to Sherrill, these high costs strike healthcare most seriously. “I will take on Pharmacy Benefit Managers, the middlemen who jack up costs every step of the way, to lower prescription drug costs for our families.”
With a strong belief in mutual trust, Sherrill added that she “will also push for transparency to our medical billing so families know what they are paying for ahead of time.”
She doesn’t simply want to apply this policy to healthcare; she is set on creating a “Report Card” that shows all monetary transactions the state government proposes and conducts, according to her website mikiesherrill.com. The report card will allow the public to track state spending and keep the government accountable, increasing transparency and accessibility to see state grants, contracts and performance.
Though the country faces political polarization, Sherrill believes in working together. “I have always been willing to take on anyone — including members of my own party — to deliver for New Jersey. In my first 10 days as Governor-elect, I met with both the Democratic and Republican leadership in our state house.”
Reflecting on the past and present, Sherrill said she hopes to create a united, proactive future for the state. “New Jersey has big challenges it’s facing and it will take all of us working together to solve them.”
