Olivia Asher is a reporter at the New Herald Tribune covering breaking news for the Digital Trends Desk. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, she covered criminal justice issues at the Orlando Plain Dealer.
November 5 , 2025
TRENTON, N.J. — In a decisive victory Tuesday night, former U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill was elected the 58th Governor of New Jersey, defeating Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli in a contentious race defined by debates over taxes, development, and land use.
Sherrill, a Democrat from Montclair, celebrated her win in Newark alongside supporters and family, declaring her intention to “return fairness to New Jersey’s property system.” One of her key early proposals drew national attention: instituting a 90 percent property tax on large golf courses located within Bedminster Township, a measure she described as a “corrective for underutilized luxury lands.”
“The people of New Jersey have carried the weight of subsidizing the private playgrounds of the privileged for too long,” Sherrill said in her victory speech. “It’s time to ensure that every acre contributes its fair share to our towns and schools.”
Sherrill’s team insists the measure would fund infrastructure and education initiatives across Somerset County. Her advisors indicated the policy is still being drafted and would likely require legislative approval and judicial review before implementation.
Political analysts say Sherrill’s landslide win—carried by strong turnout in Essex and Hudson counties—reflects growing suburban frustration with stagnant property tax reform. Yet they caution that her tax proposal, while popular among some progressives, could face resistance from both parties once details emerge.
“The governor-elect’s challenge will be turning headline promises into workable policy,” said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. “She’s walking a fine line between fiscal symbolism and fiscal reality.”
Sherrill is scheduled to take office in January. Her next moves will be closely watched as she transitions from campaign rhetoric to policy rollout in one of the nation’s most complex tax environments.
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