Mikie Sherrill made history in last night’s gubernatorial race, becoming New Jersey’s first Democratic woman elected governor (and second female governor ever, after Christine Todd Whitman). The former federal prosecutor and Navy pilot defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli by roughly 13 points. “They always say we’re loud, but man—with this vote, you guys just screamed from the rooftops,” Sherrill told an exuberant crowd in her victory speech.
Before the election, New Jersey Monthly spoke with Sherrill about her vision for the Garden State. Here are six things she promised she’d do as Phil Murphy’s successor.
1. Make New Jersey more affordable
“I’ll work as governor to lower everyday costs to help families afford to live in our great state,” Sherrill said.
2. Freeze New Jerseyans’ utility rates on day one
“My first action will be to drive utility costs down, because we can’t make New Jersey more affordable without combating the skyrocketing energy costs,” Sherrill said. “On day one, I’ll declare a state of emergency on utility costs and freeze utility rates for families to ensure that the average New Jerseyan doesn’t see an increase in their rates over the next year.”
3. Protect abortion rights
“Here in New Jersey, we trust women and their doctors to make their own health care choices, so I’ll enshrine abortion protections into state law,” Sherrill said.
4. Expand and modernize the state’s energy supply
“I’ll significantly scale up new, cheaper and cleaner power generation in our state, because more supply means lower bills,” Sherrill said. “I’ll cut through red tape to build and fast-track new solar and battery storage projects, streamline nuclear upgrades, and modernize existing natural gas facilities to make them cleaner and more efficient.”
5. Increase transparency
“We can help build trust between New Jerseyans and their leaders by expanding access to participation in the political process, which is why I have supported office-block ballots [without party labels], same-day voter registration, expanded early-voting sites, and getting dark money out of politics,” Sherrill said. “I also believe we need greater transparency in government, particularly in our budget process.”
6. Maintain Jersey’s ban on self-service gas
“New Jerseyans should be able to have access to full-service gas,” Sherrill said.
