Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Mikie Sherrill

Discover the career path of Mikie Sherrill, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Mikie Sherrill is an American politician currently serving as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district since 2019. A Democrat, she previously served in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot and worked as an attorney and federal prosecutor. Sherrill was first elected in 2018 and has been reelected multiple times. She is now pursuing the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Jersey.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1994: Graduation from Naval Academy and Flight Training

After graduating from the Naval Academy in 1994, Mikie Sherrill completed over a year of flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator after graduating from the advanced rotary-wing training pipeline at NAS Whiting Field, Florida.

2000: Based at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi

In 2000, Mikie Sherrill was based at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas.

2003: Left the Navy before Promotion

In 2003, Mikie Sherrill left the Navy before obtaining a promotion to the rank of lieutenant commander, although she was nominated for promotion that year.

2007: Summer Associate at Kirkland & Ellis

In the summer of 2007, while earning her Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center, Mikie Sherrill was a summer associate at Kirkland & Ellis.

2008: Returned to Kirkland & Ellis

In 2008, after graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, Mikie Sherrill returned to Kirkland & Ellis's New York City office, where she worked in the litigation department.

2011: Left Kirkland & Ellis

In 2011, Mikie Sherrill left Kirkland & Ellis, where she had been working in the litigation department in the New York City office.

2015: Became Assistant U.S. Attorney

In 2015, Mikie Sherrill became an assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, working under U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.

2016: Left U.S. Attorneys' Office

In 2016, Mikie Sherrill left her position as an assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. She planned to go into the field of criminal justice reform.

May 11, 2017: Launched Campaign for U.S. House

On May 11, 2017, Mikie Sherrill launched her campaign for New Jersey's 11th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.

November 2017: Support for Sherrill's Campaign

In November 2017, comedian Chelsea Handler went to Montclair to show her support for Mikie Sherrill's campaign. Sherrill was endorsed by VoteVets.org, EMILY's List, The New York Times editorial board, and the New Jersey chapter of Clean Water Action.

June 2018: Won the Democratic primary

In June 2018, Mikie Sherrill won the Democratic primary with 77% of the vote, defeating four other candidates.

November 6, 2018: Election to U.S. House of Representatives

On November 6, 2018, Mikie Sherrill was elected as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district.

2018: Raised Substantial Funds During Primary Election

In 2018, Mikie Sherrill raised $2.8 million during the primary election, placing her among the top House fundraisers in the country. Her campaign raised $1.9 million in the second quarter of 2018, setting a record for a House candidate from New Jersey in one quarter.

2018: Defeated Jay Webber

On November 6, 2018, Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jay Webber with 56.8% of the vote to Webber's 42.1%.

2019: Support for Trump Impeachment

In 2019, Mikie Sherrill initially opposed exploring the first impeachment of President Donald Trump but changed her mind in September after a whistleblower complaint. She was instrumental in motivating House speaker Nancy Pelosi to proceed with the impeachment inquiry.

2019: Became U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district

In 2019, Mikie Sherrill started serving as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district.

2020: Re-election Victory Over Rosemary Becchi

In 2020, Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican tax lawyer Rosemary Becchi with 53.3% of the vote to 46.7% in the election for US representative of New Jersey's 11th congressional district. Also in 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the 11th district since its present configuration in 1984.

2020: Re-elected to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2020, Mikie Sherrill was re-elected as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district by a slightly narrower margin.

2021: Support for Second Impeachment of Trump

After the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Mikie Sherrill indicated her support for a second impeachment of Donald Trump, stating that she had seen some colleagues giving what she called "reconnaissance tours" of the building the day before the attack.

2022: Re-elected to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2022, Mikie Sherrill was re-elected as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district by a wide margin.

February 1, 2023: Voted to End COVID-19 National Emergency

On February 1, 2023, Mikie Sherrill was among twelve Democrats to vote for a resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.

2023: Voting Alignment with Biden

According to FiveThirtyEight, in 2023 during the 118th Congress, Mikie Sherrill has voted with Biden 92.6% of the time, which is close to the average of 93% for Democrats in Congress.

2023: Criticized Congestion Pricing in Manhattan

In 2023, Mikie Sherrill criticized the implementation of congestion pricing in lower Manhattan, New York City, describing it as "New York's greedy cash grab from New Jersey commuters."

2023: Left Blue Dog Coalition

In 2023, Mikie Sherrill left the Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus of moderate and conservative House Democrats, after joining it previously.

July 9, 2024: Called for Biden to Step Aside

On July 9, 2024, Mikie Sherrill became the seventh House member to publicly request that President Biden step aside as the presumptive Democratic nominee for the 2024 United States presidential election.

2024: Re-election and Outperformance

In 2024, Mikie Sherrill easily won the Democratic primary and was re-elected in the November general election. Sherrill outperformed the Democratic Party's concurrent candidates for President and Senate.

2024: Re-elected to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2024, Mikie Sherrill was re-elected as the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 11th congressional district by a wide margin. She is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Jersey.