NEWNow you can take heed to Fox Information articles!
New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill is going through criticisms that she is the “Kamala Harris of New Jersey” because the Backyard State enters its remaining leg of an election cycle that can both flip it purple or elect a possible subsequent star for the Democratic Get together.
Sherrill is within the midst of a decent race towards her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli, whose marketing campaign has slammed Sherrill as just like former Vice President Kamala Harris for infrequent gaffes, claims she shies away from public occasions and for allegedly operating a “choreographed” marketing campaign.
“There’s similarities (between Sherrill and Harris) in that they each are incapable of answering primary questions and appear to have a penchant for placing their foot of their mouth,” Chris Russell, a New Jersey GOP marketing consultant who works with the Ciattarelli marketing campaign, advised the New York Submit earlier in September. They “cover from the press, cover from the general public (and are) very, very managed and choreographed.”
The Democratic Get together is at the moment looking for out its subsequent big-name stars after Harris didn’t rally sufficient assist on the 2024 poll field to defeat President Donald Trump, leaving the get together in a tailspin because it appears for contemporary management going into the midterms. New Jersey and Virginia are the one states holding gubernatorial elections in 2025, offering Sherrill and Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the platform to probably change into new Democratic powerhouses in the event that they show victorious come election day.
DEM GUBERNATORIAL NOMINEE HIT WITH ACCUSATIONS OF NEPOTISM OVER CHILDREN’S ACCEPTANCE INTO NAVAL ACADEMY
Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, left, shakes fingers with Democratic candidate for governor Mikie Sherrill, proper, earlier than a debate Sept. 21, 2025, in Lawrenceville, N.J. (Noah Okay. Murray/The Related Press)
Fox Information Digital took a take a look at Sherrill’s skilled and political background and located a handful of similarities with the previous vp as she appears to maintain the Backyard State blue.
Sherrill first was elected to the U.S. Home in 2018, flipping the eleventh District seat away from the Republicans as a part of that election 12 months’s blue wave. Much like Harris notching firsts as a lady in high-profile roles — most notably turning into the primary feminine vp in 2020 — Sherrill’s 2018 election cemented her as the primary feminine to characterize the eleventh District.
Sherrill, who’s a navy veteran, additionally labored as a prosecutor within the days main as much as leaping into politics. She earned her regulation diploma from Georgetown College earlier than working at a New York Metropolis regulation agency and becoming a member of the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in New Jersey as a federal prosecutor in 2015, in response to her biography.
Harris additionally served as a prosector forward of operating for elected workplace, launching her profession within the Alameda County, California, District Legal professional’s Workplace as a deputy district lawyer in 1990. Within the late Nineties, she moved over to the San Francisco District Legal professional’s Workplace as assistant district lawyer, then to the San Francisco metropolis lawyer’s workplace, earlier than operating in 2004 to change into San Francisco’s high cop.
TOP GUBERNATORIAL RACE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS OF LEAKS AND DIRTY TRICKS AMID IMPROPER MILITARY RECORDS RELEASE
Not like Harris, Sherrill is a U.S. Navy veteran and former Sea King helicopter pilot who spent greater than 9 years on energetic obligation in the USA Navy. She left the Navy in 2003 on the rank of lieutenant and went into regulation college, in response to her congressional biography.
Sherrill has come below fireplace from her Republican challenger’s marketing campaign for reportedly ducking public occasions and media interviews in favor of operating an alleged “choreographed” marketing campaign. A evaluate of Sherrill’s marketing campaign web site’s “occasions” part Tuesday didn’t yield upcoming marketing campaign occasions and speeches from Sherrill, however as an alternative targeted on volunteering occasions, corresponding to door knocking and dealing telephone banks.
New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill is going through criticisms that she is the “Kamala Harris of New Jersey.” (Camille Cohen/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Sherrill did be part of MSNBC Monday night, took half in a meet and greet with Jewish voters Sunday, celebrated the Hindu vacation of Navratri in Jersey Metropolis that very same day, in addition to addressed South Jersey voters and union members at varied occasions earlier in September, in response to a evaluate of her marketing campaign’s Fb web page.
Harris was accused of avoiding the media in her first weeks because the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024. She labored to rally assist for 39 days with no media interview earlier than becoming a member of a CNN sit-down interview Aug. 29, 2024, whereas accompanied by then-running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
A evaluate of Ciattarelli’s marketing campaign web site reveals he has 9 upcoming occasions listed throughout the state, together with rallies, meet and greets and “enterprise stops” at native retailers.
New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli is interviewed by Fox Information Digital in Pine Hill, N.J., on June 2, 2025. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information)
Sherrill and Ciattarelli each took half within the election cycle’s first gubernatorial debate earlier in September at Rider College, the place the 2 sparred over the state’s notoriously excessive taxes, abortion and immigration. The pair is about to return to the controversy stage Oct. 8.
Much like Harris, Sherrill additionally has a robust marketing campaign platform vowing to guard abortion entry, together with noting on her marketing campaign web site that she helps “enshrining the best to an abortion in New Jersey’s state structure to completely shield reproductive freedom.”
Harris was the primary recognized sitting vp to go to an abortion supplier again in 2024, and repeatedly championed abortion entry whereas on the marketing campaign path.
The New Jersey Democrat additionally has confronted marketing campaign assaults for “gaffes,” together with in Might when she tripped over her phrases when requested in an interview what high piece of laws she want to go.
REPUBLICAN AIMING TO FLIP BLUE STATE RIPS DEM RIVAL FOR BLAMING ‘EVERYTHING ON TRUMP’
“That’s a very good query, ’trigger there’s so many which might be coming to thoughts proper now,” she responded, earlier than including that she want to see a federal block grant program to fund “key applications” in New Jersey, together with within the “healthcare space.”
Ciattarelli’s marketing campaign has since used the phase of the interview in advertisements to slam Sherrill as having “no plans” to guide the state.
“She’s a gaffe machine, frankly,” Russell added in a remark to the New York Submit earlier in September.
“Mikie has gotten assist from fellow veterans to seniors to households struggling to make ends meet to younger individuals hoping to construct their future in New Jersey,” marketing campaign spokesperson Sam Chan advised the New York Submit. ( Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs)
Harris ceaselessly got here below scrutiny for “phrase salads” throughout public occasions, which included utilizing repetitive or complicated phrases corresponding to “unburdened by what has been” and “kids of the neighborhood are kids of the neighborhood.”
Fox Information Digital reached out to Sherrill’s marketing campaign Tuesday afternoon for remark however didn’t instantly obtain a reply.
“Mikie has gotten assist from fellow veterans to seniors to households struggling to make ends meet to younger individuals hoping to construct their future in New Jersey,” Sherrill marketing campaign spokesperson Sam Chan advised the New York Submit.
“Jack’s marketing campaign is determined as a result of Mikie is combating for each New Jersey household and Jack is barely out for himself and follows Trump’s lead with no shred of independence,” Chan added of Ciattarelli, who’s within the midst of his third run for New Jersey governor.
The gubernatorial race is heating up in its remaining month as Ciattarelli works to shut a polling hole within the traditionally blue state. Present Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is time period restricted and unable to run for re-election. Chris Christie served as New Jersey’s final GOP governor, serving from 2010 to 2018.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Sherrill is within the midst of going through a marketing campaign scandal after a report in September revealed that the USA Naval Academy blocked Sherrill from collaborating in her commencement amid the dishonest scandal. The three New Jersey Republicans within the U.S. Home are demanding Sherrill launch her navy information related to the most important dishonest scandal on the Naval Academy in 1994.
Democrats have since known as for an investigation into the discharge of Sherrill’s recordsdata after it was revealed the Nationwide Personnel Information Middle launched Sherrill’s improperly redacted navy personnel recordsdata, which included personal data corresponding to her social safety quantity, to a Ciattarelli ally.
Sherrill has slammed the discharge of the report and mentioned she was banned from strolling at her commencement as a result of she declined to report classmates who have been concerned within the scandal.
