Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair)’s Gateway to Leadership PAC hosted its third annual “Elect More Women” event yesterday evening and brought in $180,000, well up from the $100,000 the same event raised last year. The money will go towards electing women candidates across New Jersey, from federal to local office.
“New Jersey is fired up and ready to elect Kamala Harris – and I’m so grateful to everyone who came out to support our mission: Electing more women in the Garden State,” Sherrill said in a statement. “From grassroots activists to organized labor, we’re working together, arm-in-arm, because there’s so much at stake in this election.”
In attendance at the event were two women who could join Sherrill in Congress next year: Sue Altman, who’s in a toss-up race against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), and State Sen. Nellie Pou, who is the favorite to hold onto the seat held until recently by the late Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson).
Even if both Altman and Pou win, though, they might not be Sherrill’s colleagues for long; Sherrill is considered a likely candidate for governor in 2025, when Gov. Phil Murphy is term-limited.
Also in attendance at the Essex County event were State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), SEIU 32BJ NJ State Director Ana Maria Hill, Mercer County Democratic Chair and East Windsor Mayor Janice Mironov, and Middlesex County Commissioner Shanti Narra (D-North Brunswick).
“We are all a product of our lived experiences, and Mikie is a product of service to our state and country,” said Ruiz, who was also a top participant at last year’s event. “She knows that with more women at the table, we can make progress on issues like child care, education, and abortion rights. We need more of that in our politics and that’s why events like this are so important to Elect More Women in the Garden State.”