Sherrill wins Essex Democratic convention in landslide

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) scored the endorsement of her home county on Saturday, winning the first Essex County Democratic convention with 62% against two other gubernatorial candidates from Essex County.

Sherrill defeated Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, 438-236, with former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller finishing third with 24 votes.  Senate President Steve Sweeney, who was on the ballot but did not attend the convention, received seven votes.

Two other candidates for governor, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) and Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop opted not to participate in Essex despite some organizational support: Gottheimer had endorsements from the mayor of West Orange and the municipal chair and councilmembers in North Caldwell.

The win gives Sherrill the right to use the Essex Democratic organization slogan.

“We’ve had a lot of great wins so far, and it’s so special to cap it off with a big win in Essex County — this is home and where we’re raising our family. Essex Dems have had my back since 2018, when we flipped a Trump district and got to work delivering for our communities. We have an opportunity to do that again for the entire state this November. To say enough is enough to Trump and Musk, and stop Jack Ciattarelli or Bill Spadea from bringing that chaos to Trenton,” Sherrill said.  “As governor, I’ll deliver for Essex residents — from Newark to North Caldwell and everywhere in between. I will bring a different kind of leadership to Trenton — relentlessly focused on lowering costs for working people, and defending New Jersey during this unprecedented attack on our state.”

Sherrill has won party endorsements in Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Sussex, Middlesex, Morris. Passaic, Union, and Hudson Counties.  Sweeney won endorsements in Camden, Atlantic, Burlington, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem, and Gottheimer won Bergen and Warren.