Mikie Sherrill wins re-election and is expected to run in the 2025 campaign

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) has defeated Republican Joe Belnome to secure a fourth term in the 11th Congressional District, the New Jersey Globe predicts, although Sherrill may not end up serving the full term in her likely gubernatorial run also goes as she hopes.

Sherrill, a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, launched her first run for public office in 2017 against Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-Harding) and immediately became one of the most promising House Democrats nationwide. Sherrill's fundraising proved so strong that Frelinghuysen decided not to run for re-election at all. Instead, Sherrill will face Rep. Jay Webber (R-Morris Plains). turned around the historically Republican 11th District 57% to 42%.

In the six years since, Sherrill has built a national profile as a moderate, national security-focused lawmaker, joining forces with a group of other congressmen with military and intelligence backgrounds. When Senator Bob Menendez was impeached last year, Sherrill's name was at the top many News Points of sale Selection lists compete against him.

Instead, Sherrill has spent the last few years laying the groundwork for a different race: the 2025 gubernatorial election, in which Gov. Phil Murphy is term-limited and a wide range of Democrats (including fellow Rep. Josh Gottheimer) are likely to run against him to follow. Sherrill has said publicly She dabbles in running, and behind the scenes it's considered almost certain; Last month, influential Democratic Party leaders in three of the state's largest counties admitted this was the case is preparing to support them.

And thanks to the congressional map drawn by Democrats in 2021, Sherrill didn't have to worry much about her race against Belnome. That was her re-elected with 19 points under the new lines in 2022 against a stronger opponent than Belnome, and even Republicans saw no real hope of winning this year in a district that includes wealthy North Jersey suburbs in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties.

Sherrill's campaign hasn't been easy for Belnome, a Donald Trump superfan and building inspector from Belleville, who has repeatedly attacked him as an election denier present at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 (Belnome has said he never entered the building itself). But the more than $4 million Sherrill spent mostly in this cycle went into messaging is more geared towards a prospective nationwide campaign – one that will likely finally come to light in the next few weeks.