Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill announced Monday she is running for governor of New Jersey, seeking to replace the term-limited Phil Murphy in 2025.

Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor and U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, just won a fourth term in the state’s 11th Congressional District, winning handily despite Vice President Harris’ poor performance in the state.

In an online video announcing her candidacy, Sherrill, a moderate Democrat, leans heavily on her military past, while making the case she is the leader for a time of crisis.

“In a crisis, the worst thing you can do is freeze,” she says. “You have to choose to lead, to follow, or get out of the way. So we can either stand aside, or we can get to work on New Jersey’s future. And I know which one I pick.”

“In New Jersey, we don’t whine, we work,” she adds.

Sherrill joins a crowded field for the June primary, which includes fellow Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, former Senate President Steve Sweeney, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, and Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, who also serves as president of the teacher’s union in New Jersey. 

On the Republican side, five candidates already declared their candidacies, including talk show host Bill Spadea, former state Senator Ed Durr, state Senator Jon Bramnick, 2021 Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli and real estate broker Robert Canfield.

Although New Jersey is a reliably Democratic state on a federal level, the state has seen Republican governors, most recently Chris Christie, who served two terms after first being elected in 2009.