Mikie Sherrill Elected and Sworn In as New Jersey's 57th Governor

Democrat Mikie Sherrill, a U.S. Representative, defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey's gubernatorial election held in November 2025, succeeding term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. The Associated Press called the race on election night with Sherrill leading with roughly 57% of the vote, and reports describe the margin of victory as significantly wider than Ciattarelli's 2021 loss to Murphy, with one account citing a 14.36-point margin. Ciattarelli had been endorsed by President Trump. Other candidates on the ballot included Libertarian Vic Kaplan and Socialist candidate Joanne Kuniansky, though their vote totals were not specified. In the days following the election, Sherrill met with Gov. Murphy at the State House to begin the transition of power, and the state's Board of State Canvassers was required to certify results within 30 days. Sherrill campaigned on pledges including declaring a state of emergency on utility costs and freezing electricity rate hikes on her first day in office, opposing the Trump administration over federal funding for the Gateway Tunnel Project, and prioritizing education and child mental health. She was sworn in as New Jersey's 57th governor on January 20, 2026, becoming the state's second female governor, its first Democratic female governor, and reportedly the first female military veteran to serve as a U.S. state governor. In concurrent Assembly races, Democrats expanded their majority beyond the 52 of 80 seats they held entering the election, with counts of provisional and mail ballots still underway as some outlets projected the majority would grow to at least 55 seats. The win marked New Jersey electing a governor from the same party for a third consecutive term for the first time since the 1960s, according to one report, and coincided with a Democratic victory in Virginia's gubernatorial race the same night. Final, certified vote totals and the exact size of the Assembly majority were not confirmed across sources at the time of reporting. A pre-election poll in September 2025 had shown a narrower two-point race, indicating some uncertainty in the contest's final weeks that was resolved by the wider Election Day margin.