Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
Two Montclair residents are officially in the running for Mikie Sherrill's soon-to-be-vacant seat in Congress. MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair continues to make headlines when it comes to the 2025 New Jersey governor election. U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill – a Montclair resident – has been projected as the winner of New Jersey’s gubernatorial election. Read More: NJ Governor Election Results: Sherrill Wins, AP Says The governor-elect scored a heavy victory in her home district of Essex County, unofficial results show. Read More: Sherrill Heavily Outperforms Ciattarelli In Essex County Sherrill cast her own ballot at Hillside Elementary School on Tuesday. The race to replace Sherrill in the state’s 11th congressional district has officially begun, and several candidates have already thrown their hats into the ring. They include two Montclair residents: Brendan Gill and Cammie Croft. The 11th district spans dozens of towns in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, including Montclair. >> Read More: NJ Candidates Line Up To Replace Mikie Sherrill In Congress BRENDAN GILL Gill, an Essex County commissioner, launched his campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday. Gill has served on the board of commissioners since 2011. Beyond his work at the county level, he was among the architects of Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2017 gubernatorial campaign, and has served as a senior advisor to U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Frank Lautenberg, as well as U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman. The lifelong Montclair resident has been backed by more than 60 elected officials from across the district. They include his spouse – state assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill – as well as New Jersey Sens. Britnee Timberlake, John McKeon and Renee Burgess, and New Jersey Assembly members Michael Venezia, Carmen Theresa Morales and Shavonda Sumter. Other supporters of Gill include Montclair Mayor Renee Baskerville, Montclair Deputy Mayor Susan Shin Andersen, and Montclair Town Council members Erik D'Amato, William Harrison, Aminah Toler and Eileen Birmingham. Former Montclair mayors Robert Russo and Robert Jackson have also endorsed Gill, in addition to several former council members and members of the Montclair Democratic Committee. “As someone who has spent my career fighting for working families, protecting our environment, and expanding opportunity, I’m running for Congress to make sure the voices of the residents of our district are heard loud and clear,” Gill said. “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved here in Essex County — but I know there’s so much more we can do for our state and our country,” Gill said. “From fighting for affordable health care to ensuring every child has access to a great public education, I’ll be a tireless advocate for New Jersey’s values in Congress.” Learn about Gill’s campaign platform here, and watch his campaign launch video here. CAMMIE CROFT Montclair also has another local resident lining up for Sherrill’s seat: Cammie Croft. Croft launched her campaign for Congress in late September. A former staffer in the presidential administration of Barack Obama, she worked on media communications with the former president’s 2008 campaign. Croft is also a former Amnesty International deputy executive director, and recently helped to lead an electric energy nonprofit. The seasoned politico is a supporter of Sherrill, and said that she will “build on the strong foundation” laid by the congresswoman if elected, with her platform including “continuing the fight to protect health care, standing up to corruption and delivering critical investments in infrastructure and education.” Croft also said she plans to fight to lower the prices of groceries, energy and everyday essentials, while pushing for reforms that “hold Washington accountable to working people.” She said a “massive expansion of clean, affordable energy” will be one of the keys to cutting utility bills – a proposal similar to the plan Sherrill has offered. Croft has emphasized her working-class roots in her NJ-11 campaign. “Running for Congress was never part of my plan,” Croft said. “But I realized that one day my kids will ask me what I did, and when they ask, I need to be able to tell them that I did everything I possibly could.” “These are challenging times, when things are getting harder —faster— for working families,” Croft said. “From groceries to child care to energy bills, costs are too damn high—and families are being squeezed while politicians and the ultra-rich look out for themselves.” Learn about Croft’s campaign platform here, and watch her campaign launch video here.
