On November 4th, the Democratic Party was found victorious in numerous elections. This “blue wave” was apparent in the results of Virginia, New York, California, and, of course, New Jersey. Specifically, former navy pilot and congresswoman Mikie Sherrill won the governor’s race in New Jersey, marking the first time in roughly six decades where one political party remained in power for 3 terms in a row.
The results of the election were interesting: Sherrill won 56.6% of votes compared to Jack Ciattarelli’s 42.8%, giving her a comfortable lead. However, many early polls indicated a much closer race between the two candidates; an underestimated turnout and large share of undecided voters at the time seemed to have affected the results of early polls and predictions. Given the results of this election, what can we expect for the future of New Jersey?
Sherrill’s Campaign Promises
Sherrill’s campaign focused heavily on issues regarding the cost of living, and ways to drive it down. She pledged to reduce taxes through tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit, which would help working families. She also planned to freeze utility rates and invest in projects on solar power, as well as streamline housing development to promote affordable housing. These plans, if executed successfully, could help middle and lower class families keep up with the cost of living and allow New Jersey to become more livable.
Sherrill promised to fix NJ Transit, which has been criticized for subpar service. The NJ Transit system is the third largest in the country, moving 720,000 people across the state via trains and buses; it is clear why this is one of her top priorities. She specifically wants to push into transit-oriented development to create compact neighborhoods around transportation centers. This would reduce dependency on personally owned cars to improve efficiency of transportation flow and create sustainable communities. She also intends to modernize rail infrastructure and improve the Gateway Tunnel, which on top of bettering transportation can also create critical jobs; all these things, she believes, will positively stimulate NJ’s economy and create a better NJ.
Sherrill has plans with regards to social programs as well. To achieve more accessible education, she proposed more universal pre-K, free school lunches, as well as stronger mental health programs. Regarding healthcare, Sherrill aims to require insurance companies to have better justifications for higher pricing so that she can ultimately lower drug prices. She also wants to defend reproductive and abortion rights and expand contraception access, and hopefully, Sherrill’s progressive agenda will better the lives of many New Jerseyans.
NJ Politics Moving Forward
With such a strong performance by Mikie Sherrill in mind, what is the future of New Jersey’s politics? Will NJ continue to be a Democratic stronghold, or is there a possibility the state will accept conservative ideals? Well, the truth is: it’s hard to tell. The political parties are constantly changing, and drastic shifts in the support for each party can occur. With that being said, the current Democratic support in NJ is stronger than it possibly ever was, so the Republicans will have a hard time overtaking them in the foreseeable future.
Looking Ahead
Regardless of the quality of the promises, execution is key to a better New Jersey; likewise, regardless of political party, all of us want a better New Jersey. All we can do is hope that Mikie Sherrill gives us the New Jersey we want and deserve.
1
0
