Will New Jersey Elect its Second Woman Governor?

Primary elections were held yesterday in New Jersey. Full results for women in these races are available on this post on our Election Analysis page; there are multiple undecided races with women candidates. The full results post will update as these contests are decided.

Among the most notable results for women:

• Current U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill (D) has won the Democratic nomination for governor of New Jersey. If successful in November, she will be the second woman and first Democratic woman to serve as governor of New Jersey.

• There are two gubernatorial elections in 2025, in New Jersey and Virginia. A new woman governor is all but assured in Virginia’s all-woman contest. If Sherrill is also successful, the number of women governors could reach 14 by January 2026, matching the record high set briefly in January 2025.

• Women are 53 of 141 (37.6%) major-party nominees already selected for state Assembly in New Jersey, including 32 of 67 (47.8%) Democrats and 21 of 74 (28.4%) Republicans. This is not a record high.

• 27 (21D, 6R) of 31 (25D, 6R) current state assemblywomen are nominees for re-election in November 2025. 

  • One woman incumbent, Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter (D), did not run for re-election, 1 (1D) incumbent woman has lost her bid for reelection, and 2 (2D) incumbent assemblywomen are in races that are too close to call.

For more information, see the full analysis of how women fared in yesterday's contests on our Election Analysis page. Complete context about women in the 2025 elections can be found on CAWP's Election Watch.