Sherrill Wins New Jersey Governor’s Race

Press Releases

Washington, DC –  Tonight, Mikie Sherrill- who has been a VoteVets’ candidate since initially flipping a competitive House seat in 2018 – was elected Governor of New Jersey. Details on VotesVets’ investments in this race can be found below. In response to Mikie’s victory, VoteVets released the following statement:

“Tonight proved what we knew to be sure – Mikie Sherrill always comes out on top in tough fights. Always committed to service, as governor, Mikie is going to focus on making life easier for everyone in New Jersey and we’re confident she’ll get results. VoteVets has been proud to be in Mikie’s corner since her first competitive election to congress and we’re excited to partner with her as she takes on the top job in New Jersey.”

VOTE VETS’ NEW JERSEY INVESTMENTS: 

  • VoteVets launched  a $550,000 statewide ad campaign in the final weeks of the race, hitting the GOP candidate at the most crucial time. The ad targeted white male swing voters under 45 who swung away from Democrats last cycle and was featured statewide on streaming, OTT, and connected-TV platforms, along with live sports programming on cable systems in key markets. The ad also ran statewide on YouTube and Spotify with additional targeting done statewide on streaming and digital. In the final week of the campaign, VoteVets expanded the targeting of this ad after adding additional funds to the initial buy. 
  • VoteVets Action Fund transferred  $79,000 to the Democratic Party of New Jersey, the first time in the history of VoteVets that we made a direct contribution to a state party’s coordinated campaign efforts.
  • When Sherrill’s opponent used illegally obtained military records to try and smear her, VoteVets led the charge on rapid response, including mobilizing Veterans in New Jersey to speak out against the attacks.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

Last cycle alone, VoteVets spent $50 million helping to elect VoteVets-endorsed candidates. Our investments proved to be effective in helping candidates get across the finish line and we were able to see a success rate at a time when other Democrats were not as successful. Thanks in part to our investments, 143 VoteVets-endorsed candidates clinched victory amidst a global rightward lurch. 

VoteVets selects candidates based on their credibility, their character, and their democratic ideals.  With strong service records or national security experience, our candidates also have an ability to reach independent and swing voters that are crucial to winning elections.

Last cycle alone, VoteVets spent $50 million helping to elect VoteVets-endorsed candidates. Our investments proved to be effective in helping candidates get across the finish line  and we were able to see a success rate at a time when other Democrats were not as successful. Thanks in part to our investments, 143 VoteVets-endorsed candidates clinched victory amidst a global rightward lurch. VoteVets was an early supporter of both Spanberger and Sherrill when they ran for and flipped Congressional House Districts in 2018, instantly becoming rising stars in the Democratic Party.

In 2024, VoteVets-endorsed candidates were victorious even in extraordinarily difficult contests. In an election where Republicans won control of all branches of the Federal government, our vocal support and bold ads were pivotal in clinching victory: Reuben Gallego for the Arizona Senate seat, Elissa Slotkin  for Michigan’s Senate seat, and Andy Kim’s New Jersey Senate seat. Stateside, we rallied for Jeff Jackson, who won a crucial Attorney General’s race in North Carolina. In pivotal House races, VoteVets’ work yielded new members such as Congressman Derek Tran in California’s 45th Congressional District and Maggie Goodlander in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District (where VoteVets invested in an independent expenditure that helped guide her through a competitive primary process). 

On the state level in the past, VoteVets has already been key in electing popular governors such as Tim Walz in Minnesota and Wes Moore in Maryland, as well as Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fonte, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, and Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.

In addition to resources invested directly into campaigns, VoteVets holds access to a proprietary Veteran & Military Family Voter File with over 10 million voter records (80+% confidence), giving us the singular power to surgically target Veterans and military families and mobilize them to vote. Over the past several cycles, we have deployed Veteran-centric direct mail and relational Veteran-to-Veteran organizing, thereby demonstrably increasing Veteran and military family turnout in key states and districts across the nation — and growing the power and resonance of the Veteran voice as a voice of authentic authority and integrity on matters of policy.

Simply put, with the right message and messengers, VoteVets can target voters that no one else in the Democratic ecosystem can — voters that can make the difference in Virginia and New Jersey as well as tight midterm races we expect in 2026.