What to Expect From Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s Administration

Gov. Mikie Sherrill will be sworn in today as the 57th governor of New Jersey, in a historic moment for the state. Her victory marked the first time in 65 years one party held control of the governor's office for three terms, the first time a Democratic woman was elected to the position and only the second time in the state's history that a women will serve in the office.

As Sherrill takes over as the state's top executive, we asked Kristoffer Shields from the Eagleton Center on the American Governor to weigh in on what we may expect at the beginning of her term.

For the last several weeks, Sherrill has been announcing appointments to the top positions in her administration. What do her choices reveal about her goals and priorities?

I don't think we should make too many inferences based on each individual she has appointed, but if you take a broad view, you can see the type of coalition she is attempting to build. She has held over some Cabinet members from the Murphy administration, which makes sense in a Democrat-to-Democrat transition. But perhaps most important, she has appointed a number of people both to her Cabinet and to her staff with strong experience in Trenton and in New Jersey state politics. This is one area in which Sherrill lacks experience; she did not serve in state government before becoming governor. So it is good to see her acknowledge that by appointing people who can help her navigate what can sometimes be a complex maze.

A recent Eagleton poll found residents want Sherrill to focus first and foremost on taxes. How do you think she will have a different approach than the past administration?

The word "affordability" was such an important part of the election last fall but now Sherrill has to define more specifically what "affordability" means to her and how she will make New Jersey a more affordable place to live. Certainly, taxes are part of that, and a recent Rutgers-Eagleton poll showed how important the issue is to New Jerseyans. I don't think her approach will be dramatically different from the Murphy administration. She has talked about some specific programs she may support, including relief for first-time home buyers and more shared municipal services. One key question is whether she will support continuing Murphy's property tax initiatives such as the ANCHOR program, which he pointed to as one of his administration's key accomplishments.

Although the governorship did not change political parties, how do you expect Sherrill's administration to differ from her predecessor?
Broadly, Sherrill and Murphy share many of the same values, but every individual governor is different. Sherrill will bring a different personal and leadership style, a different set of experiences, and a different set of priorities. Sherrill will also intentionally try to differentiate herself from Murphy on specific issues, likely starting with utility prices. And of course, we have to remember that Sherrill is the second woman elected governor in New Jersey history, the first woman to serve in the position in 24 years, and the first Democratic woman to win the office.

How do you anticipate she will work with the Trump administration?

Sherrill has some history with President Trump, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives during portions of both of his terms. She, like Governor Murphy, will likely look to work with the administration when she feels it will be to New Jersey's benefit and loudly oppose him on issues on which they disagree. Ultimately, though, a significant part of Sherrill's campaign centered around her opposing key Trump initiatives and promising to protect New Jersey from them. Part of the strong turnout amongst Democratic voters in November can also be attributed to anger with the Trump administration. So, it is likely that Sherrill will not shy away from confronting the president. I expect we'll see a more publicly aggressive approach to the federal government.

It's been a while since New Jersey had a first husband. What role do you expect him to play in the administration? Do you anticipate he will take on any signature priorities?

Governor is such a demanding and all-consuming job, it is important that the governor's family plays a key support role. Governor Sherrill's husband, Jason Hedberg, will certainly provide that support. But I don't anticipate that he will play a key role in the administration. He may have issues that are close to him that he will pursue, but he has not, to this point, indicated interest in a political or policy career or position.

Overall, what opportunities and challenges do you see the new administration facing in its first 100 days?

The biggest challenge is easy: the state budget! New Jersey faces a difficult budget this year, especially with the loss of some key federal funding, and it is one of the first challenges the new administration will immediately face. It will likely be the top priority of the early days of her administration. But there will also be opportunities. Mikie Sherrill will be the governor of New Jersey, one of the most powerful governor's offices in the country, and in that role will have the power to execute her vision for the state. She will be working with a Democratic legislature that should be (mostly) friendly and will have the momentum of an election victory that was larger than most expected. She will therefore have significant wind at her back. Much of being governor, however, is dealing with the day-to-day challenges of the state, many of which can be unexpected (now more than ever). So we will have to see what the next 100 days brings.