Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as New Jersey’s 57th governor Tuesday, immediately delivering on her signature campaign promise to freeze utility bills shortly after taking her oath of office.
Sherrill, 54, takes the helm as the first Democratic woman to lead the state. She ran on promises to make the state more affordable and stand up to the president, though she didn’t mention Donald Trump by name during her speech.
“As we see Washington trying to shut the door on opportunity, on your safety and security, on education, on health care, on access to good jobs, on innovation and investments in energy and infrastructure, as we are seeing doors shut for families, for working people, for vulnerable communities, as they attempt to roll back the tide of progress — not here,” Sherrill said.
The former four-term congressmember, Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor replaces outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy, a fellow Democrat who was term-limited. Sherrill was surrounded by her four children and her husband as State Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner administered the oath of office at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.
Her resounding win over Republican candidate and Trump ally Jack Ciattarelli was the first time in 60 years a candidate from the same party as a two-term incumbent won the governorship, securing the party at least three consecutive terms in office.
During her speech, Sherrill signed two executive orders targeting energy costs and declaring a state of emergency. Her first order gives the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, which oversees regulated utilities, the authority to pause new requests for rate increases. The second order allows the agency to solicit solar and storage power generation, in an effort to lower utility costs over time.
“This is just the beginning. We are going to take on the affordability crisis, and we are going to shake up the status quo,” she said.
In her remarks, Sherrill promised a new era of getting stuff done, and a government of competence and results, rather than rhetoric and fear. She said her administration would work to be transparent and serve with compassion.
Sherrill’s win this fall was a shot of confidence for Democrats across the country, who were looking to capitalize on anti-Trump sentiment and re-energize voters. But New Jersey faces fiscal challenges as Sherrill readies to present her first spending plan by the end of February. Trump’s Medicaid cuts could leave the state with a $3 billion hole. The governor is also facing pressure to do more to protect immigrant communities amid the Trump administration’s enforcement crackdown.
Murphy, the outgoing governor, vetoed two bills that would restrict when local law enforcement can aid immigration officers and prevent health care and government agencies from sharing personal information with federal authorities. But he signed a measure to limit immigration authorities from operating in schools, hospitals and houses of worship.
Those measures were meant to codify the Immigrant Trust Directive issued by Murphy’s first attorney general and maintained through his administration. On the campaign trail, Sherrill had opposed the proposed Immigrant Trust Act that would make the directive law, saying it would invite legal challenges.
Dale Caldwell, a Methodist pastor and former university president, was sworn in as Sherrill’s lieutenant governor.
Sherrill, a resident of Montclair, held her inauguration in the state’s largest city, rather than in Trenton. An inaugural ball at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford is scheduled for later in the day.
