Governor Mikie Sherrill. Photo: Chris Buck
Strolling into the Montclair Diner just a few weeks before taking office, Mikie Sherrill seems like a regular—and she is. The diner is one of her favorite places to grab coffee and a quick meal. On this day, wearing a bright pink turtleneck and a bouclé blazer, she gives a warm hello to servers and to a fellow customer on her way to meet me in one of the diner’s red vinyl booths. The only obvious clues that she’s about to lead our state are the state troopers detouring cars on the street.
Our diner chat is a getting-to-know-you conversation rather than one heavy on policy and politics, so that we can introduce you to the real Mikie. Instead of coffee, she orders a green tea, since we are meeting in the afternoon and she doesn’t want so much caffeine after her morning espresso.
Rebecca Michelle “Mikie” Sherrill, 54, was elected governor after serving for nearly seven years in the state’s 11th Congressional District. She has been living in New Jersey since the early 2010s, before she became an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey in 2015. The mother of four lives in Montclair with her husband, Jason Hedberg, an investment banker, and their two younger children. Their two older kids have followed in their mother’s footsteps and are now students at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
New Jersey Monthly: Congratulations! It’s funny, I saw Whoopi Goldberg in this diner once. But she had a mouthful of food when I approached her, and she didn’t seem too pleased to be interrupted.
Mikie Sherrill: Whoopi actually signed one of my petitions to get on the ballot, but we couldn’t use it in the end, because I don’t think her given name is Whoopi. (It’s Caryn Elaine Johnson.) But everyone was still really excited about it.
That’s great! So first, I think a lot of people are curious about where you plan to live once you take office. Will you live in the governor’s mansion, Drumthwacket? I know you still have kids in middle (8th grade) and high school (10th grade) in Montclair.
I have kids in school here, and I’ve got to get them through that. They’ve lived here their entire lives. We moved here when my 15-year-old was a month and a half old. My daughter was born here. So I think (staying here) can really keep them grounded at a time when there’s a lot of chaos going on. My two older kids are 18 and 20, and they’re at the Naval Academy. I’ve been going to Trenton almost every day. It’s actually been working really well, because one of my assistants lives in Montclair. So we have a bunch of calls in the car and get in touch with people and get emails out and stuff. And then we do the same thing on the way back. We’re trying to really make the most of it. And we’ve been traveling all over the state for meetings, too.
Sherrill and her family greet supporters after projections showed her winning the 2025 New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial primary. Photo: Shutterstock/Ben Von Klemperer
Sometimes I think it’s such a small state in size, but it can feel so big, too—right?
Definitely! I was just in North Jersey and then I was in Gloucester the other day and Cumberland County, and then we’ll get down to Camden and set up shop and get as many things done as we can. We’re really trying to make sure we continue what we built in the campaign, which is getting to every corner of the state as much as possible. There are always events in some town or a county event that we can attend, and it makes it so much easier to meet people and find out what the issues are for people in different locations.
I attended the agricultural convention in Atlantic City a while back, and I was astounded by how many farms we have in New Jersey.
And a lot of them are run by women—that was really interesting to me. And seeing the way farming is done here—because we don’t have huge corporate farms. We have a lot of farms that are owned by families, some that have been in their family for generations. And thinking of the supply chain and how that works in getting fresh, local produce to our local schools. It’s amazing.
Speaking of food, do you like to cook? What’s your specialty?
I like to cook when I’m in the mood to cook. My specialty for a night when everyone has a sports thing is quesadillas. That’s my go-to. I make them with beans and cheese and tortillas, and avocado on the side. Everybody likes it.
When I’m in the holiday mindset, I like to make a big lamb roast and then use that to make shepherd’s pie the next day. When you cook for a family, you’ll have things that everyone likes and compliments you on, and everyone seems to love my shepherd’s pie.
This year, I did more of a Moroccan lamb, which everyone in my family was very suspicious of. My oldest son likes to cook, and he kept saying, ‘What are you putting in now? What is that? What are you doing?’ And I’m like, ‘You make what you make, and I’ll make this.’ I made it with plums and apricots this time, and it was really good.
Tell me a little about your daily routine. Do you go to the gym? Are you a tea drinker or coffee drinker?
I’ve actually already had three cups of coffee today. I try to mainline as much coffee as possible before 10 am. And then afterwards, I try to cut myself off. I’m drinking green tea because I think it has less caffeine. So maybe I can get away with it right now. But the older I get, the earlier I have to cut myself off. I do like to jumpstart things with a ton of caffeine. I have a little espresso maker, so I take four shots of espresso and make a latte.
I was just in Hudson County, and someone offered me a cup of coffee, and I said ‘Yes, please.’ So that’s why I’m feeling great now.
What about exercise?
When I was campaigning, I wasn’t eating that healthy. I’m just going to say, there are a lot of snack foods out there, and McDonald’s is involved. And there’s just not a lot of time to exercise because it’s just go, go, go. So I’m now trying to get back into a better place healthwise.
I like to run, but I am not a real fast runner. And now the state troopers are around, and they’re very fit. I’m embarrassed when I run with them. I’ll be really proud of myself for running three miles, and they haven’t even broken a sweat! So now I think I might need to run on a treadmill by myself. I’m also trying to lift weights. I lifted a lot in college, but then I stopped, so now I’m trying to pick it up again.
Are you a big reader?
I find that the more intense the policy stuff I do for work, the lighter my reading gets to be. I like sci-fi and mysteries. Whereas it was interesting, because when I was in a squadron, I was reading autobiographies and physics books and books about flights. And now I basically read for pleasure.
You’re about to become the second female governor of New Jersey. I know Governor Whitman supported you in your campaign. Has she been in touch with you and given you advice?
Yes, she’s so thoughtful. She said she was just so thrilled that there was another female governor—but not so thrilled that it took this long. She’s been great. All the former governors have been great.
You know what’s interesting? No matter what party affiliation or what programs these governors have had historically, they all deeply care about this state. And they want to see our state do well for people. I’ve seen this with military members and veterans. It seems as if, once you have served the public, you feel this responsibility still, no matter what you do afterwards.
Photo: Shutterstock/Ben Von Klemperer
How do you think your military background informs you in your new position?
It’s so interesting that you ask that, because as you can imagine, being in Montclair, before I got into politics, I don’t think most people in this town had any idea what I did before. You know, when you’re on the side of the soccer field or the lacrosse field and you’re watching the game, you don’t really say, ‘Oh, by the way, you know I was a Navy helicopter pilot?’ But in running for office and thinking about public service, the fact that I was in the military from the time I was 18 until I was in my thirties was such a formative time period for me. And so much of the way I think I look at public service and responsibility comes from that time.
There are a couple of things that I learned then. There’s something called servant leadership, and it’s this understanding that leading people isn’t just about saying, ‘I’m going here, catch up.’ It’s much more about what it’s going to take to make sure the people that you are leading are able to do the job and thrive. Because you’re all working together, and they have personal lives. So if they’re overseas and they have a child in the hospital, I’m going to be in the hospital with that kid until they can get back. Servant leadership—it’s really about serving the people you’re leading.
Speaking of female governors, there are quite a few right now, including Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who you roomed with in Washington, D.C. What do you think about that shift, and what does it mean?
It’s so interesting, because even before I ran for governor, I had heard about the new female governors and what many of them were doing. Governors like Maura Healey (Massachusetts) and Laura Kelly (Kansas) have been very effective—and Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan). But I also admire how they work so well together. I was just in New York with Governor Hochul, and we both very much want to find those areas where we can work together. Our states are so intertwined, and the New York-New Jersey area is the most economically powerful area in the entire world. There is so much we could do by working together and making our systems run well and being effective governors, which is so exciting.
What about making NJ Transit run better?
Yes, and making sure that our transit systems run effectively. Governor Hochul and I really want to get stuff done. We want to know how we can lift everybody in the region up.
And Gov. Spanberger is from New Jersey, right? And you’re from Virginia?
I was teasing her because I anticipate she’ll come up to the inauguration, and I assume she’ll be coming up with the Virginia Troopers, and I said, ‘Don’t you bring anyone from Spotsylvania because one of those guys gave me a ticket on the 4th of July when I served in Norfolk, Virginia and I was driving down there.’ I said I still have a bone to pick, and she said, ‘Oh my gosh—you New Jerseyans never forget a grudge!’
We were just joking, but to be able to talk to somebody going through the same exact thing—I mean, there’s nobody else in the world going through a governor’s transition. This morning, we were talking about our budgets over the phone, and then I texted her and said, ‘Oh, by the way, what are your kids wearing to your inauguration?’ I just love that.
Now for some rapid-fire Jersey questions: Favorite vacation spot?
I really love Asbury Park. It’s so easy to go down there and catch a concert at the Stone Pony and stay overnight. That’s just a really great way to get away if you have kids. It feels like a mini vacation.
I also love the Delaware Water Gap and that part of New Jersey; I think it’s one of the most beautiful parts of the state. I like hiking, but every time I go hiking out there, I’m always thinking about how I want to go white water rafting. My kids don’t even like hiking; I’ve dragged them out a couple times, and they complain. But then I point out, we could go white water rafting next time. And then we never do.
Favorite restaurant?
Oh my gosh. I’ve been to so many good ones. This is not for going out to eat, but I just love Belgiovine’s (Italian deli in Montclair). We go there all the time. I like to get the eggplant parm with long hots. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is the best. I also like Tasty Subs in Edison; I adore their Italian sub with the spicy pepper sauce—it was fantastic!
Where do you like to go with your husband on special occasions?
There’s no better view than the Highlawn (in West Orange). We also like Faubourg (in Montclair).
Sherrill and her husband, Jason Hedberg. Photo: Shutterstock/lev radin
Favorite coffee shop?
I love coffee shops. I like Java Love and Paper Plane (in Montclair). And I like Local Coffee in Montclair, too.
What’s your diner order?
I’m on a health kick—ish. It’s two eggs over easy with tomatoes instead of hash browns, and rye toast.
What’s the most Jersey thing about you?
I always want to look tan. I grew up in the ’80s. I always wear bronzer. And I like big hair. For years, I straightened my hair, but now I use the Dyson hair wrap. Now I’m happier. I just like the big hair.
Are you a Sopranos fan?
I like The Sopranos. It’s so fantastic in so many ways. I also really like Severance, and I actually filmed one of my campaign commercials in BellWorks (where it was filmed), which was cool.
What do you think people outside the state don’t know about New Jersey and should?
They don’t know anything about it, unless they’re from Philly and they go to Wildwood. I had a senator from Maine tell me there were actually some nice places in New Jersey. I said, ‘I know, I live there!’ I think people feel really lucky to live here. We have great schools, great opportunities, great colleges and universities.
We have the pharmaceutical base, and the diseases they are curing and the medical issues they’re finding fixes for—it’s like nowhere else. It’s truly amazing what’s happening here. I think that feeds into this idea that we can tackle problems here. It’s no surprise to me that, in 2025, when the rest of the country was in a panic mode and feeling so overwhelmed and couldn’t figure out a pathway forward, here in New Jersey, we did. People were ready to take the reins of their future and drive forward. I think that comes from these good jobs, good schools, and this history of innovation. ‘Trenton Makes, the World Takes’; Edison inventing the lightbulb, and all this history. Bell Labs. As I was filming that commercial there, I was looking at all the patents that came out of Bell Labs. It is just amazing here in this state, and I don’t think people outside of the state understand that very well. I don’t even think people inside the state realize how special it is.
What are your top priorities for New Jersey as you take office?
Driving down costs for people. It’s really kids, costs and affordability. On day one, I’m going to call a state of emergency to lower utility costs and freeze rate hikes. We’re going to have an economic dashboard and a report card so people can know where their money is going and have some more transparency and accountability in the budget. And then, taking on online safety for kids. It’s incredibly egregious right now, and the big tech companies have all the data. The data is so bad. We need to understand this better, so we’re going to set up an observatory at one of our colleges or universities to really drive that.
Last question—are your kids big Jersey fans?
Oh yes! My daughter was at the Naval Academy prep school in Rhode Island, and you should have heard the drama about the terrible bagels and pizza she ate there. She was just appalled! They just love it here.
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