Mikie Sherrill takes oath as New Jersey governor, becoming the second woman to lead the state

NEWARK — Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as New Jersey governor Tuesday at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

Sherrill is the second woman to govern the state and the first from the Democratic Party, as well the first female veteran from either party. She broke tradition by opting to be sworn in in her home county of Essex in northern New Jersey instead of being inaugurated in the state’s capital city of Trenton.

Joined on stage by her family and high-profile Democrats alike, Sherrill spoke about her love for New Jersey and denounced President Donald Trump in a speech on Tuesday.

She also gave a two shoutouts to South Jersey, noting that she learned on the campaign trail that South Jerseyans say “pork roll” instead of “Taylor Ham.”

“I have heard you in South Jersey, where you want jobs, transportation investments, innovative businesses, and not to be forgotten or left behind,” she also said.

Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, former federal prosecutor and mother of four, was elected to Congress in 2018 and stepped down in November after winning the election, defeating Jack Ciattarelli, who had won the endorsement of Trump.

Sherrill, whose closely watched candidacy drew significant national support, promised during her campaign that she would make New Jersey more affordable and stand up to Trump.

She promised voters she would declare a state of emergency on utility rates on her first day in office, a promise she executed while still onstage for her inauguration speech right after being sworn in. She signed two bills: one freezes utility rates and the other encourages more energy production in the state.

White flowers lined the front of the stage, and large American and New Jersey flags served as a backdrop.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Sherrill’s friend and former congressional colleague, was in attendance. Spanberger became Virginia’s first woman governor on Saturday in a ceremony attended by Sherrill and other high-profile Democrats.

New Jersey and Virginia were the only states to hold gubernatorial races last year and the Democratic victories were viewed as a positive sign for the party heading into the midterms with Trump in the White House.

Sherrill, who turned 54 on Monday, succeeds Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who served two terms. Murphy has until Sherrill is sworn in to sign any remaining bills on his desk.

She is expected to head to Trenton to sign more executive orders before going back north for an inaugural ball Tuesday evening at the American Dream in East Rutherford.

Sherrill’s lieutenant governor, Dale Caldwell, 65, was also sworn in Tuesday. Caldwell, a Middlesex County-based Methodist pastor, most recently worked as the first Black president of Centenary University. He’s worked for state government, started nonprofits, and led charter schools.

Sherrill defied expectations on both sides of the aisle by winning what had been viewed as a competitive race by 13 points. Republicans felt optimistic in part because the state shifted red in 2024, but those gains bounced back in November. The resident of Montclair similarly won a crowded primary by more than 100,000 votes in June.

Sherrill repeatedly reminded voters of her opponent Ciattarelli’s ties to Trump and leaned into the president’s unpopularity in the state. She criticized Trump’s tariff policies and argued that he was making life harder for New Jerseyans.

Sherrill’s campaign repeatedly held events in Newark leading up to her election with the support of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a progressive who came in second place in the Democratic primary.

Her decision to be inaugurated up north was celebrated by Newark officials, but Trenton Councilmember Jennifer Williams, a Republican, argued in an op-ed that it was an insult to Trenton.

The governor-elect visited Camden on Monday to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and announced that she will divert resources to the city to honor the Civil Rights leader, promising not to forget South Jersey in favor of the northern part of the state.

Christine Todd Whitman, the first woman to serve as New Jersey governor, used the same venue as Sherrill when she was sworn in for her second term in 1998 while the war memorial in Trenton, the traditional site, was undergoing renovations.

Whitman served as a Republican from 1994-2001 before joining the Bush administration and has since left the Republican party for the Forward Party. She endorsed Sherrill’s candidacy.