Mikie Sherrill could become the country’s first female veteran to be elected governor
‘Mikie has proven that leadership grounded in service, integrity and results still exists,’ Veterans for Responsible Leaders said in its endorsement of the Democratic candidate.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s bid for New Jersey governor could end in a groundbreaking win this November: If elected, she would be the first female veteran to serve as a state governor in the country, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, which conducts research on women’s political participation in the United States.
Sherrill, the Democratic nominee, who’s running against Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli in the Nov. 4 election, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1994 and went on to spend 10 years on active duty in the Navy, according to the biography on her House of Representatives website.
“She flew missions throughout Europe and the Middle East as a Sea King helicopter pilot, worked on the Battle Watch Floor on the European Theater during the Iraq invasion and served as a Flag Aide to the Deputy Commander in Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet,” the website states.
Sherrill is one of two female veterans who are on gubernatorial ballots this year, the Center for American Women and Politics says in its Sept. 15 release. The other is Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican running against Democrat Abigail Spanberger in Virginia.
A former federal prosecutor who has represented New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District since 2019, Sherrill has focused on veterans issues while in office. She introduced legislation to expand rental protections for service members, worked with colleagues across the aisle on two bills to help service members find good-paying jobs after leaving the military, and joined the recently launched Democratic Veterans Caucus.
A June 9 press release issued by Sherrill’s office points to “ongoing attacks on veterans’ health care” as a reason for the formation of the caucus.
The release notes that the Trump administration and congressional Republicans backed cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. At the time the release went out, the bill hadn’t passed, but it did this past summer, and Trump signed it into law on July 4.
The law slashes funding for SNAP, which provides food assistance for lower-income Americans, as well as for Medicaid, the national health insurance program that provides coverage for lower-income individuals, people with disabilities and eligible pregnant people, among others.
Sherrill’s press release called Medicaid and SNAP “programs that serve as lifelines for millions of Americans, including 1.2 million veterans and their families.” Sherrill voted against the legislation; Ciattarelli has voiced support for it.
“Veterans served this country with honor and sacrifice,” Sherrill said. “They kept their promises to defend our freedom, and now it’s our duty to keep our promises to them. As a former Navy helicopter pilot, I am disgusted by the Trump administration’s decision to cut their health care and food assistance to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. It is a betrayal not just of our veterans, but of the values this nation stands for.”
In August, Sherrill spent time with veterans groups at a Morris County Veterans Appreciation Day picnic in Morris Plains.
“It was great to see the incredible support for our veterans from the county, local officials, and community organizations. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to take care of our veteran community, whether it’s an appreciation picnic or ensuring that the Department of Veterans Affairs has the funding and resources to care for our veterans and their families.” Sherrill said in a press release after the event.
Sherrill’s support for veterans has landed her endorsements from the groups VoteVets, a political action committee that supports progressive policies benefiting veterans, and Veterans for Responsible Leadership.
“Mikie has proven that leadership grounded in service, integrity and results still exists,” Veterans for Responsible Leaders wrote in a social media post in July. “She’s shown up for her country time and again. We need more leaders like her.”
The Ciattarelli campaign says on its website that the Republican candidate would focus on funding for veterans as governor.
“He will enact a ‘veteran is a veteran’ policy, providing programs and benefits to all veterans regardless of the dates or location of their service — including eliminating the requirement that a NJ National Guard member serve in federal active duty status to qualify for the veterans’ state income tax deduction,” Ciattarelli’s website states.
The website says that Ciattarelli would partner with the federal government to focus on suicide prevention among service members, veterans and their families.
