Sherrill hasn’t consulted Murphy on LG pick, governor says

As Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s deadline for picking a running mate nears, Gov. Phil Murphy said he has not been consulted by the Democratic congresswoman’s campaign regarding their search for a lieutenant governor pick. 

Speaking to reporters after an event Tuesday, Murphy said he has not discussed potential picks with Sherrill, who has until next Monday to nominate her pick. Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli today announced Morris County Sheriff James Gannon as his running mate. 

“I’ve not, nor have I spoken with Jack [Ciattarelli] about it,” Murphy joked. 

Sherrill’s short list includes former Assistant Attorney General and former Newark mayoral candidate Shavar Jeffries, Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey President Carlos Medina, Centenary College President Dale Caldwell, and Samuel A. Delgado, the vice chair of the New Jersey State Cannabis Regulatory Commission, according to prior reporting from the New Jersey Globe. 

Gannon, notably, comes from Sherrill’s congressional district and has proven to be a strong vote-getter in Morris County.

Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said the decision to keep Murphy out of the process is likely a conscious choice to keep her campaign independent of his tenure.

“I’m not surprised, and the reason I’m not surprised is because I think Mikie Sherrill is trying to turn the page from eight years of the Murphy administration,” Rasmussen told the New Jersey Globe. “That doesn’t mean that Governor Murphy isn’t a respected voice or a voice of experience, but she has to turn the page.”

Rasmussen said Sherrill will likely set out to achieve some sort of ticket balance with her running mate, whether it be geographical balance, gender balance, or ideological balance.

“It seems to me … that she’s looking for somebody she’s comfortable working with, because you have to work closely with this person for the next four years, or potentially eight years,” Rasmussen said.