Rep. Mikie Sherrill won a mammoth victory at the Middlesex County Democratic convention tonight, securing the endorsement and slogan of one of New Jersey’s premier political organizations.
While there was no recorded vote – Middlesex uses a show of hands – observers told the New Jersey Globe that Sherrill’s victory was overwhelming against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and former Senate President Steve Sweeney.
Three other candidates – Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, and New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller, the former mayor of Montclair – chose not to participate in Middlesex.
Middlesex has 233,937 registered Democrats – about 9.6% of the total primary electorate statewide – and made up over 10% of the total votes cast in the 2021 Democratic gubernatorial primary; Middlesex produced more votes than any other county.
“I’m so grateful to have the support of Middlesex County Democrats. Together, we’re going to bring down housing costs, fund and improve our public schools, and make retirement more affordable for seniors. From Woodbridge and Edison to South Brunswick and Monroe, Middlesex County is the heart of New Jersey — if you win here you can win everywhere,” said Sherrill. There’s a lot at stake and we know all too well what happens when somebody like Jack Ciattarelli or Bill Spadea get into office: they raid funding for NJ TRANSIT, restrict abortion rights, and refuse to pay our bills. We can’t let them bring Trump and Musk’s chaos to New Jersey — we’re going to win this race and chart a different path forward.”
Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Kevin McCabe called 2025 “a pivotal year for the Middlesex County Democratic Organization.”
“We stand on the brink of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to send another Democrat to the Governor’s office—a leader like Mikie Sherrill who will be our first line of defense against a President who is intent on undermining the middle class. We believe Mikie epitomizes the leader for working families. But our work does not end there. We must continue the remarkable progress made by our State Assembly under the bold leadership of Middlesex’s own Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin,” said McCabe. “Thanks to his vision, New Jersey has made extraordinary strides—delivering financial relief to working families, making life more affordable for seniors, and opening doors to economic opportunity. With everything unfolding in Washington, we cannot afford to let up now. The stakes have never been higher.”
This is Sherrill’s fifth win after prevailing at Democratic conventions in Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, and Sussex; Sweeney has captured endorsements in Burlington, Atlantic, and Cumberland; and Gottheimer won Bergen.
Sherrill is a four-term congresswoman and former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor.