Former four term Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill was sworn in earlier this afternoon at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark as the Garden State’s 57th Governor, its second female and first Democratic, female Governor.
During her inauguration remarks, Governor Sherrill once again pledged to make New Jersey more affordable. She also vowed to be a check against President Donald Trump, stating, “On November 4th, the people of New Jersey once again gave the nation a glimmer of something it hadn’t felt in months: hope. Yes, 250 years after the Declaration, 250 years after General Washington crossed the Delaware into the promised land, I am proud that once again, New Jersey is leading the way. And I want you to know that I will be fighting for you.”
The 54-year old Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor and former Navy helicopter pilot, was sworn in by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. As the oath of office was administered, Sherrill was sworn in not with her hand on a Bible, but rather, on a bound collection of the state Constitution, the United States Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence that belonged to William Paterson, New Jersey’s second governor.
This marks the first time since 1961 that one party, in this instance the Democratic Party, has held Jersey’s governor seat for three straight terms. Outgoing Governor Phil Murphy held the office for two terms, a total of eight years.
The new governor announced she was following through a major campaign promise; declaring a state of emergency on soaring electric bills in New Jersey and freezing rates, saying, “This is just the beginning. We are going to take on the affordability crisis, and we are going to shake up the status quo.”
Sherrill also referenced the President’s administration when she referred a crackdown on immigration, with ICE patrolling America’s streets, saying “communities living in fear, children who are afraid that their parents will disappear in an ICE raid while they are at school.”
Governor Sherrill’s inaugural ball will be held tonight at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford.