Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) has won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey, coming out on top of a crowded field, according to Decision Desk HQ.
Sherrill defeated five other major candidates for the nomination in a hotly contested primary to succeed two-term Gov. Phil Murphy (D), who is term limited. She entered the primary on Tuesday as the favorite given her polling lead that she’s maintained in public and internal polls, including those from other candidates’ campaigns. She also had the backing of most of the county parties in North Jersey, home to most of the state’s population. County endorsements aren’t quite as influential as they used to be with the state’s “county line” ballot system no longer in use, but they still carry some weight.
The primary was an early test of political power in New Jersey without the county line, which a federal judge struck down last year on the grounds that it gave county-endorsed candidates favorable positioning on the ballot. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop had railed against the county line and sat out county nominating conventions as he sought to advance a grassroots, outsider campaign.
Sherrill will face Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who was also the 2021 GOP nominee, in the general election. Ciattarelli has the endorsement of President Trump.
Fulop was hoping to tap into antiestablishment sentiment seen in the state last year with the line going away and Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) managing to hold off New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy in the Democratic primary for Senate, running a similar grassroots campaign.
