Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill is currently serving in her fourth term representing the 11th Congressional District of New Jersey. On the website for her recently announced run for Governor of New Jersey (https://www.mikiesherrill.com/about), she makes a compelling case for her credentials for the post—“U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Navy helicopter pilot, former federal prosecutor, wife, and mother of four kids—Mikie Sherrill proudly serves New Jersey in Congress and is running for governor to make life easier and more affordable for Garden State families. Her career has been defined by service to her country and New Jersey.”

The Jewish Link spoke with Sherrill on January 15 about her vision for the job of governor and her approach to Jewish communal concerns.

What inspired you to run for governor of New Jersey?

I’ve been in public service for much of my life, and my work is about seeking ways to make people’s lives better. We need a leader who takes a fresh approach to the problems we face and I like a good challenge. I’m ready to drive affordability, create opportunity, and protect rights and freedoms in our state.

What is your leadership style?

I like to say that I’m focused on ruthless competence. I’m committed to making sure that we’re running an office that is responsive to people. When I set up my office for this race, I told my staff that we must be very focused on services to constituents. What I owe each resident of New Jersey is that, while we might not agree on an issue, I will provide an answer on why I’m doing what I am. And if some government policy is not working, I will go to the legislature to fix it. Our goal is to create the most efficient government, where you can count on your elected officials to respond to your needs.

Please identify three to four accomplishments in your role as Congresswoman that best inform your prospective approach as governor.

I’m proud that we secured funding for the Gateway Tunnel Project. That was a commitment I made in my initial 2018 campaign for Congress.

Winning support for flooding aid for New Jerseyans was also an important victory. This financial assistance allows us to protect homeowners from serious losses.

And I feel strongly that we must do more for our veterans, some of whom suffer from PTSD or from military sexual assaults. We’ve brought in new funding for the Veterans Center in Morris County, which can help them better address the needs of our veterans.

In your view, what are the three biggest problems facing the State of New Jersey at this time?

We have a serious housing shortage, with 200,000 fewer homes than we need. This moves more people into rental properties, which creates greater financial pressure in the housing and rental markets.

We need to do better in investing in our public schools. We say that we have the best public school system but in reality, it’s the best in certain zip codes.

We also have to address property taxes. I already serve on a SALT [state and local tax] caucus in Congress that looks at these issues. We have to find ways for towns to work together, to drive down costs, such as shared services and other proven strategies.

A news story in the JewishInsider on December 2 quoted from a statement you sent them, in which you said, “From the moment I entered Congress, I’ve worked tirelessly to combat antisemitism,” and that you will “work towards a day when our state is seen as a model nationwide” for how to fight antisemitism. Can you suggest a few new tactics to fight the rising tide of antisemitism in New Jersey?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this.

In response to recent and prior events, we’ve held roundtables with members of the Jewish community on this issue. And in the aftermath of the attacks of October 7, I’ve asked the leaders of the colleges in New Jersey how they were working to mitigate antisemitism on their campuses. Unfortunately, we don’t see that this is getting any better. And I hear from too many parents who are afraid to send their kids to college campuses.

The freedom of religion in the U.S. Constitution isn’t just the freedom to practice your faith. It must also include that a person can’t be targeted because of their religion. When people target the “other,” we are all at risk.

Some of the things we should do are expand the work of the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security’s Interfaith Council, so it reaches many more people. We need more education and we must encourage more empathy in our communities. We need to bring more people into these conversations and work to have people be more empathetic to each other.

How would you handle the anti-Israel/antisemitic rallies, which often exhibit harassing behaviors, on college campuses and in high schools?

I’m closely following the search for a new president at Rutgers University. When that person is selected, I want to sit down with them and have a frank discussion on this question. After the October 7 attacks, I had discussions with university presidents on how to handle these protests and got some very useful feedback. I intend to compile these answers and share them. And I intend to ask the new Rutgers president: What’s your plan? How will you make sure every student feels safe and welcome?

There is room for debate but we must do so with respect and understanding. We cannot allow protesters to target one set of students. In preparing students for the world, we must encourage them to have respect for the diversity of our nation.

I’m also encouraged by some best practices in this area. At Montclair State University, there was a tragic incident with a Muslim student, and rumors started to spread on the campus. The university administration worked with the family of the student to decisively put down those rumors and keep peace on the campus.

Would you consider visiting Israel during the campaign or in your first six months in office, to better understand the issues that animate many Jewish community members?

I’ve been there a few times in my time in Congress and have some close ties there. I anticipate visiting Israel if I am elected as governor.

Would you advocate for increasing the funds available from the Federal Department of Homeland Security to houses of worship in New Jersey?

I have been an advocate of this for years, and we got $4 million more in funding in the past year. These funds make our houses of worship more resilient. I will continue to push for this.

Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County editor of The Jewish Link. He welcomes reader feedback and can be reached at [email protected].