Boyer: Why I’m Supporting Mikie Sherrill for Governor

OPINION

I had no intention of weighing in on this election. But a series of events has made silence untenable.

We are living through a seismic shift in whether or not Black people will be treated as full citizens—whether our lives will be regarded as sacred or disposable. Since the Trump administration’s return to national power, Black communities have faced intensified harm: economic devastation, cultural erasure, and policy violence. Over 300,000 Black women have lost their jobs. Black unemployment has doubled. Our history is being banned, our dignity mocked, and our communities targeted. The message is clear: Black lives are negotiable, and white nationalism is back on the ballot.

And now, Donald Trump has endorsed Jack Ciattarelli for Governor. That endorsement is not symbolic—it’s strategic. If New Jersey, one of the most diverse states in the country, turns MAGA, it will send a message nationwide that Black people are somehow okay with what’s happening. That cannot happen. New Jersey is the last stand.

When I asked Ciattarelli directly if he would denounce the anti-Blackness coming from the MAGA movement, he refused. Instead, he embraced the very policies that have harmed our communities. That moment made it clear: resistance alone is not enough, and simply opposing a Trump-backed candidate doesn’t feel like I’m doing all I can. I must activate—even if only a few people. I must speak. I must move.

And still, I wasn’t yet at a place where I could support Mikie Sherrill.

After meeting with her and her team multiple times, I am finally at a place where I am convinced and I can declare: Mikie Sherrill is the best choice for us.

My children, my grandchildren, and my parents all live in New Jersey. I needed to know that the people I love and serve—including my congregation—would be seen, heard, and protected. Their future, their dignity, and their care are on the line—just like the families I walk with in ministry every day.

Mikie is committed to working with Black women to put Black birthing back in Black hands. As a father to a daughter and grandfather to two Black girls, I know how urgent this is. And as a pastor, I know how many women in our congregation have suffered in silence. She supports expanding access to Black midwives and doulas, increasing preventative care through mobile clinics and school-based partnerships, and holding insurers accountable for discriminatory practices. She understands that Black maternal health is not a side issue—it’s a justice issue.

She supports universal Pre-K, early education, and community school models—critical for my grandchildren and for every child in our communities. She’s committed to addressing school segregation through regional magnet schools, expanded inter-district choice, and county-based solutions that promote equity and integration. These are the kinds of reforms that could transform the educational futures of the children I serve.

She believes in an all-of-government approach to building a robust Trenton that includes—not displaces—its current residents. She supports converting underused commercial properties into affordable housing, expanding first-time homebuyer assistance, and cracking down on predatory landlords and mortgage discrimination—policies that directly impact Black families and stabilize our communities. Importantly, she is committed to working with faith institutions as partners in community and economic development, recognizing the role we play in housing, healing, and hope.

She also backs expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit—lifelines for working-class families—and supports small business growth in underserved areas. These policies uplift the economic realities of many in our community who are striving to build generational wealth and stability.

And for our elders living in the Garden State—including my own parents and the other seniors I serve—Mikie has affirmed her commitment to protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from federal attacks, and supports the Stay NJ program to cut property taxes for seniors so they can remain in the communities they helped build.

More than opposition to Trump, I needed to support someone with an affirmative vision for Black people.

This is about surviving and thriving. Fighting and building. Resisting what harms us and investing in what heals us.

I encourage every Black faith leader and lay person to stand together and vote for us by supporting Mikie Sherrill.

And let us be clear: voting is just the first step. After the election, we will work with her—and we will hold her accountable, as we would with any and every elected official.