Mikie Sherrill Sworn in as NJ’s 57th Governor

By Jim Pytell, Managing Editor On Jan 20, 2026

For the first time in eight years, New Jersey has a new governor. Mikie Sherrill was sworn in earlier today as the 57th governor of the Garden State at a ceremony held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark.

Sherrill, a 54-year-old former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, becomes just the second female to serve as a New Jersey governor, and the first female Democrat. Her victory also marked the first time a party has won three consecutive gubernatorial elections in the state in 60 years.

At the same time, she will be inheriting one of the most unaffordable states in the country and is tasked with finding solutions to the most pressing issues facing businesses and residents alike, including an energy crisis, surging housing prices, a massive budget gap, as well as other priorities such as increased government efficiency. All of which, Sherrill has stated as top-line priorities for her administration.

“Let me tell you plainly what my administration stands for: lowering costs; taking care of our kids; and making the government accountable to the people,” Sherrill said to the more than 2,000 attendees at NJPAC. “As we get to work charting our success, I have listened to you, and I have heard you.”

During her speech, Sherrill signed two executive orders related to the state’s energy crisis – following through on her campaign promise to address the issue on Day One.

The first Executive Order gives the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities the authority to pause new utility requests for additional rate increases, and, according to Sherrill, will enable her to freeze rate hikes.

The second Executive Order directs the Board of Public Utilities to open solicitations for new solar and storage power generation, to modernize gas and nuclear generation in an effort to “lower utility costs over the long term.”

“This is just the beginning,” Sherrill said. “We are going to take on the affordability crisis, and we are going to shake up the status quo. … I want you to know that I will be fighting for you. And I hope, New Jersey, you remember me when you open your electric bill and it hasn’t gone up another 20%. I am going to spend every minute trying to make New Jersey more affordable and open doors to opportunity across our state.”

Opening doors to opportunity was a major theme of her approximately 30-minute speech.

“In too many cases, the promises from politicians to open doors to opportunity have been empty — platitudes that don’t address the key issues keeping families up at night. But I promise as your governor: if it’s keeping you up at night, it’s going to be keeping me up at night.”

Sherrill also campaigned on making government more efficient and transparent, and has said she wants to eliminate red tape and permitting delays, affording people the ability to be able to see in real time where they are in an application process, for example.

Additionally, she has promised to publish “plain‑language budgets,” create a New Jersey Report Card to track whether state programs are meeting goals, and give the public tools to monitor spending over time.

“Under this administration, agencies will be judged by results, not rhetoric,” Sherrill said. “We will work to make government more transparent. We will work to save you time and money. You may not agree with every decision we make, but you will know why we made it.”

“Throughout her campaign, and even preceding it during her time in Congress, Gov. Mikie Sherrill has shown a much-needed willingness to work with the business community and to give our job creators a more even playing field from which to compete,” NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka said in a statement. “We have been heartened by her transition team’s engagement with NJBIA and the business community since the election in November. While we know we will not always agree on every issue, having an open dialogue with this administration and a mutual understanding of the importance of business to New Jersey’s economy is a great foundation from which to build on. It also makes for better governance.”

The Governor’s Oath of Office was administered by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. Sherrill was sworn in on William Paterson’s bound copy of the Constitution of the State of New Jersey, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence, held by Jason Hedberg, Sherrill’s husband. The original parchment copy of the Constitution used is one of only 13 copies known to still be in existence.

“We enter 2026 commemorating our nation’s 250th anniversary,” Sherrill said. “New Jersey has been at the heart of our American story. The crossroads of the revolution. The site of our first major victory at the Battle of Trenton. The first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. 

“At the dawn of our nation, as some of our very first public servants embarked upon their work to better New Jersey, the people of New Jersey chose a state motto. They were among the first to do so. On the heels of a horrible war, they narrowed in on those two things that they felt their countrymen had fought and died for: Liberty and Prosperity.”

Lt. Gov. Caldwell

Sherrill’s lieutenant governor, former Centenary University President Dale Caldwell, was also sworn into office this morning, becoming the first African-American man and first pastor to serve in the role.

Echoing the governor’s sentiments toward government transparency, he said, “We must also restore trust in the institutions of our democracy that serve the public. For too many people, the government feels like an obstacle rather than a partner.

“The status quo is not working,” Caldwell continued. “That is why our administration is focused on lowering costs, supporting small businesses and expanding opportunity for every resident.”

Breaking Tradition

It was the first time since 1790 that a New Jersey governor has taken the oath of office outside of Trenton. In fact, since 1932, every inauguration for a first-term governor has taken place at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial in Trenton, which seats about 1,000 fewer attendees than NJPAC.

Newark reported its highest turnout in a gubernatorial election since 2005 and helped deliver Sherrill’s election win in November. Essex County is also Sherrill’s home county, and Caldwell was the founding executive director of the Newark Alliance.

Sherrill will also hold her Inaugural Ball this evening on the ice-skating rink at American Dream in East Rutherford, with proceeds from the $350-per-person ticket price going to Mission to Deliver NJ, her nonprofit issue advocacy organization.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s Biography

Sherrill was born on Jan. 19, 1972, in Alexandria, Virginia.

She has said she was inspired to join the military by her grandfather, who was a World War II veteran. She entered the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1990. Four years later, she became a Navy helicopter pilot, flying an H3 Sea King on support missions out of Bahrain for the US fleet. She spent a full 10 years on active duty.

Following her service, Sherrill obtained a Master of Science degree in economic history from the London School of Economics in 2003, and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 2007. From 2008 to 2011, she was an associate at the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis in New York City. From 2012 to 2015, she worked as an outreach coordinator at the US Attorney’s office for the District of New Jersey. From 2015 to 2016, she was an assistant US Attorney for the same district, where she prosecuted federal cases.

On May 17, 2017, she announced her candidacy to run for Congress and pursue the 11th district seat that was held by Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen for 12 terms. In January 2018, Frelinghuysen announced he would not run for reelection. Sherrill won the 2018 Democratic primary with 77% of the vote. Sherrill then defeated Republican nominee Jay Webber with 56.8% of the vote. Sherrill would win reelection in 2020, 2022 and 2024.  

Shortly after her 2024 Congressional win, Sherrill announced she would run for New Jersey governor. She faced five other challengers in the primary, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, and former New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney. She won the primary, garnering 286,244 votes (34%) compared to her closest rival, Ras Baraka, with 173,951 votes (20.7%). 

She then defeated Republican nominee and former Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli in the November gubernatorial election to secure the governorship.

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