Mikie Sherrill is sworn in as New Jersey’s governor, slams President Trump in her inaugural address and signs early orders to curb soaring energy costs.
WEBDESK – Act Global Media – January 21, 2026
Democrat Mikie Sherrill was sworn in Tuesday as New Jersey’s 57th governor, opening a new chapter in state politics with sharp criticism of President Donald Trump and an immediate push to tackle soaring living costs, particularly energy bills.
Taking the oath at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, Sherrill positioned herself as a counterweight to Trump’s presidency, accusing him of abusing power and driving up costs for ordinary Americans. Without naming him directly, she drew parallels between the current moment and the American colonies’ revolt against King George III, saying New Jersey voters recognized “a president illegally usurping power” while families struggle with higher prices.
Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, federal prosecutor and four-term member of Congress, pledged to make New Jersey more affordable and expand opportunity statewide. During her inaugural address, she signed executive orders declaring a state of emergency over rising utility costs, authorizing bill credits to freeze energy rates and empowering regulators to pause requests for further increases.
“I hope you remember me when you open your electric bill and it hasn’t gone up another 20 percent,” Sherrill told the crowd of more than 2,000, drawing applause as she criticized what she called wasteful spending in Washington. “These are weary years, but not here. Not in New Jersey.”
Sherrill succeeds term-limited Democrat Phil Murphy, marking the first time since 1961 that one party has held the governor’s office for three consecutive terms. She becomes only the second woman to serve as New Jersey governor and the first Democratic woman to do so.
Her decisive 14-point victory over Trump-endorsed Republican Jack Ciattarelli last fall was widely seen as a rebuke to the president’s first year back in office and a signal of voter frustration over affordability. Sherrill also addressed immigration enforcement, saying families should not live in fear of ICE raids, and promised New Jersey would keep “doors open” on education, health care and jobs.
The White House dismissed her remarks, saying she offered “no plan to cut taxes or slash red tape,” but Sherrill insisted Tuesday’s executive actions were only the beginning of a broader effort to “shake up the status quo.”
As she mixed sharp political attacks with humor about New Jersey’s culture and identity, Sherrill cast her governorship as both defiant and forward-looking, declaring that the state would once again lead at a time of national division.
