The US Navy veteran and four-term Democratic congresswoman, Mikie Sherrill, has stomped five other major candidates in a contested primary to succeed outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy.
The Governor candidate is gearing up to face a probable Republican rival, Jack Ciattarelli, and currently, there are increasing queries concerning her positions on critical matters, particularly Israel, antisemitism, and the power of Donald Trump.
Over the years, Sherrill has positioned herself as a steady leader and has faced mixed reactions from Jewish voters in New Jersey, home to more than 600,000 Jews. She was one of the first House Democrats to call for a “humanitarian pause” in Israel’s military operations in Gaza after the 7 October Hamas terror attacks, while continuing to support hostage families and Israel’s missile defence.
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The 53-year-old also rejected the South African genocide case against Israel, saying she had “not heard or seen evidence that there is an effort by the military … to eradicate specific portions of or all of the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
Jewish leaders vouches for Sherrill
{{/usCountry}}The 53-year-old also rejected the South African genocide case against Israel, saying she had “not heard or seen evidence that there is an effort by the military … to eradicate specific portions of or all of the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
Jewish leaders vouches for Sherrill
{{/usCountry}}However, Jewish leaders like Rabbi Marc Katz, who leads Temple Ner Tamid in Sherrill’s district, praised her support after a firebombing at his synagogue. “Sherrill’s record speaks for itself. There is virtually no issue around antisemitism that she hasn’t affected positively,” he told Jewish Insider. “The same goes with Israel.”
Yet others, like columnist Alan Steinberg, argue she’s “gone way beyond the pale” in her critiques of Israel’s Gaza strategy, slamming her “present” vote on a resolution linking anti-Zionism to antisemitism as “the height of irresponsibility and insensitivity.”
Here are Mikie Sherrill's key policy stances for the race
“I think a lot of what I'm running to do is to make sure New Jersey delivers better for people across the state,” Sherrill told NJ Now, citing plans to expand housing, lower utility costs, and rein in pharmaceutical middlemen. “All of that, I think, can work to drive down prices and also make New Jersey more affordable.”
“The affordability crisis is hitting everybody in New Jersey. That's why I keep talking about building more houses, because we are never going to make New Jersey more affordable if we don't make housing more affordable,” she made her views clear on housing.
“I think the role of the governor is to follow the law, and that includes the constitution of the United States and making sure law enforcement is following the constitution, but also at the same time making sure if people commit a crime that they are held accountable for that. And those are the types of things that as governor I'm going to ensure,” she told NJ Now, amid the unrest ICE raids and immigration crackdowns.
While throwing a jab at Trump, she said, “I think the chaos that we're seeing coming from Washington, the attacks on our economy, on our rights and freedoms, on just our core values as Americans, is something that New Jerseyans are not gonna tolerate.”