Murphy will call special election as soon as Sherrill resigns

Gov. Phil Murphy will call a special election to succeed Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill as soon as Sherrill resigns her seat in New Jersey’s 11th congressional district, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed, allowing for the fastest possible election schedule to determine Sherrill’s successor.

Sherrill announced today in her final House speech that she intends on submitting her letter of resignation from the House sometime next week, though the exact timing of her departure is not yet set in stone.

The uncertainty means it’s impossible to know exactly when the special election will be, but the likeliest option right now is for a special primary election to arrive in late January; if Sherrill were to resign next Tuesday, for example, Murphy could call for a special Democratic primary as early as Tuesday, January 27.

That hypothetical timeframe would give candidates just over two months to campaign for their respective party nominations. If the primary is indeed held in late January, a general election would arrive in early April. (Special primaries must be held 70 to 76 days after a writ of election is called, with special general elections arriving 64 to 70 days later.)

The election will also be held under the state’s current special election laws; an effort in the legislature to tighten those laws may still proceed during the ongoing lame-duck session, but any changes legislators make would not go into effect for the 11th district election.

Sherrill has represented the 11th district since 2019, and her Morris, Essex, and Passaic County seat is likely to stay in Democratic hands after she’s gone. Nine Democrats have launched campaigns for her seat, among them a former congressman and five county and local officials, as has one Republican.