Rep. Mikie Sherrill wins Democratic primary for New Jersey governor, CBS News projects

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Rep. Mikie Sherrill has won the Democratic primary election for New Jersey governor, CBS News projects. 

Sherrill will take on Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the general election to replace outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited and cannot run again this year.

What to know about Mikie Sherrill

Sherrill, 53, who is in her fourth term in the House, is a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor. Upon entering the race for New Jersey governor, she said she was running because she was concerned about freedoms under a Donald Trump presidency, including reproductive rights.

Sherrill was the winner in a crowded field of six candidates, including Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer,  Sean Spiller, the head of New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teacher’s union, and former State Senate President Steve Sweeney.

The various candidates worked hard to differentiate themselves to voters. Sherrill ran on affordability, with a plan expand the state’s Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. Baraka had gathered some recent momentum in the race after he was arrested outside an ICE detention facility in Newark. Fulop had positioned himself as an anti-establishment figure, touting his criticism of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and former Gov. Chris Christie. Gottheimer, who has been in Congress since 2017, ran on lowering property taxes by 14.4%. Spiller, the former mayor of Montclair, argued he was the strongest on education. And Sweeney said he was champion of New Jersey’s workers. 

See the results

Jeff Capellini

Jeff Capellini has been digital producer at CBS New York for 18 years. He previously worked for The Associated Press and several newspapers.