Bipartisan Coalition Asks Both Gubernatorial Candidates About Women's Appointments; Sherrill Promises Transparent Appointments Process That Reflects New Jersey

Since 1981, the Bipartisan Coalition for Women’s Appointments (BCWA), made up of women leaders from both major parties, has been convened by the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, in years in which there is an open gubernatorial race.

The purpose of BCWA in 2025 is to secure a two-fold commitment from the major party gubernatorial nominees to:

• Appoint more women to positions across government, including the Cabinet, front office, and across state boards and commissions.
• Reform the appointments process, prioritizing accountability and transparency by creating an accurate catalog of active boards and commissions, tracking demographic data of state appointees, and publicizing vacant positions.

Both candidates were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their commitment to an appointments process that is both transparent and results in diverse, reflective appointments. Representative Mikie Sherrill submitted responses to the BCWA questionnaire. Former Assemblymember Jack Ciattarelli did not respond.

Representative Sherrill pledged:

• Her Cabinet “will reflect the diversity of New Jersey and include representatives from communities and organizations across our state.”
• She is “committed to expanding women’s representation, including positions in the front office and the transition, as well as appointments to key boards and commissions.”
• She is “deeply committed to transparency and accountability in government” and will publicly announce “appointments through press releases and official notices and promote the availability of open positions across government.”

Representative Sherrill also indicated willingness to meet with BCWA representatives during the transition period and expressed openness to receiving candidate recommendations from the coalition.

BCWA last convened in 2017 during the gubernatorial race between current Governor Phil Murphy and his Republican opponent, then-Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno. Both Guadagno and Murphy met with BCWA representatives and committed to appointing a diverse administration with substantial numbers of women. Murphy made good on this promise at the Cabinet level, as his was the first majority-women Cabinet in state history (it is currently 46.2% women).

While strides have been made in women’s representation in the governor’s Cabinet and on the hundreds of state boards and commissions, the representation of women and people of all races and ethnicities still lags that of white men on New Jersey’s powerful boards and commissions. Learn more about this disparity in CAWP’s Data to Diversity Series.

The work of BCWA will continue after the election to educate New Jersey women about the thousands of state, county, and municipal appointed positions available. On December 6th, CAWP and the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey will host a half-day training to equip women with the tools and information they need to pursue appointed positions in government. BCWA will continue to offer to help the next governor identify a strong and diverse pool of women candidates for positions within the new administration. The Center for American Women and Politics will also continue to track the next administration’s appointments.

Learn more about the Bipartisan Coalition for Women’s Appointments on the CAWP website.