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Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as New Jersey’s 57th governor at an inauguration ceremony in Newark, delivering her first address focused on democracy, opportunity, public service and the American Dream.
In her speech, Sherrill invoked New Jersey’s historic role in shaping the nation and called for unity, resilience and principled leadership at a time of deep political division. Declaring “We refuse fear,” the new governor outlined her vision for governing with courage, inclusion and responsibility.
#MikieSherrill #NewJersey #USPolitics #Governor #Inauguration #AmericanPolitics #Democracy #Leadership #APTNews #InternationalNews
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLEtz3H0jSfEneSdf1YKnw/join
Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as New Jersey’s 57th governor at an inauguration ceremony in Newark, delivering her first address focused on democracy, opportunity, public service and the American Dream.
In her speech, Sherrill invoked New Jersey’s historic role in shaping the nation and called for unity, resilience and principled leadership at a time of deep political division. Declaring “We refuse fear,” the new governor outlined her vision for governing with courage, inclusion and responsibility.
#MikieSherrill #NewJersey #USPolitics #Governor #Inauguration #AmericanPolitics #Democracy #Leadership #APTNews #InternationalNews
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00:00I'm Mikey Sherrill. I, Mikey Sherrill. Elected governor of the state of New Jersey. Elected
00:12governor of the state of New Jersey. Do solemnly promise and swear. Do solemnly promise and swear.
00:19That I will support the Constitution of the United States. That I will support the Constitution of
00:24the United States. And the Constitution of the state of New Jersey. And the Constitution of the state of New
00:30Jersey. And that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. And that I will bear true faith and
00:35allegiance to the same. And to the governments established in the United States. And to the
00:40governments established in the United States. And in this state. And in this state. Under the
00:45authority of the people. Under the authority of the people. And that I will diligently. And that I will
00:50diligently, faithfully, faithfully, impartially, impartially, justly, justly, and to the best of my knowledge and ability, and to the best of my knowledge and ability, execute the office, execute the office in conformity with the powers delegated to me, in conformity with the powers delegated to me, and that I will, and that I will, to the utmost of my skill and ability, to the utmost of my skill and ability, promote the peace and prosperity, promote the peace and prosperity, promote the peace and prosperity,
01:20And maintain the lawful rights of the state of New Jersey.
01:23And maintain the lawful rights of the state of New Jersey.
01:27So help me God.
01:28So help me God.
01:29Congratulations, Governor.
02:40Thank you very much.
03:10Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together once again for the 57th governor of the state
03:26of New Jersey, Mikey Sherrill.
03:47Thank you all so much.
03:57Honorable Chief Justice and Justices of our Supreme Court, my fellow governors, our esteemed
04:06congressional delegation, Mr. Senate President, Mr. Speaker, majority and minority leaders,
04:13members of the legislature, elected officials, reverend clergy, honored guests, family and
04:20friends, and most importantly, New Jerseyans up and down the state.
04:26I am incredibly honored to be standing before you as the 57th governor of the state of New
04:35Jersey.
04:37And I want to thank everyone who's traveled from near and far to be here today.
04:49You have all made this day truly special.
04:52My aunts and uncles, brothers-in-law, cousins, nieces, nephews, I can't tell you how much it
04:58means that you are all here.
05:00Mom, dad, Megan, Mary, I love you guys so much.
05:11My classmates from Hunter's Woods Elementary School, Langston Hughes Middle School, and
05:19yes, the great South Lakes High School class of 1990, thank you for being here.
05:25Mr. Jenkins, my principal, and Ms. Cascio, like so many people, I would not be here today
05:32without the great mentorship of wonderful teachers.
05:35My classmates from the Naval Academy, shipmates, service members from the Navy, starting with
05:47plebe summer to duty stations around the world, it was not just my training that informed my
05:53sense of service, it was all of you, thank you.
06:00And in the U.S. military, we've always said we never fight alone.
06:05That's because we fight alongside friends and allies, so thank you to all of our ambassadors
06:10and Consuls General for joining us here today.
06:18Everyone from the U.S. Attorney's Office, working with you right down the street at the
06:22Rodino Building was an honor.
06:25And despite the troubles that our former office is now facing, I know your dedication to justice
06:31is unwavering.
06:38My colleagues from Congress, thank you for your continued fight for health care, education,
06:44and good jobs.
06:46America is lucky to have you fighting for her.
06:50I want to give a special thank you to Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy.
07:02Congratulations, I love your family all the way.
07:20You both have truly shepherded our state through perilous times, and your dedication
07:40to improving the lives of working families, including by raising the minimum wage and
07:45fully funding the pension for the first time in decades. Speak to your enduring concern
07:51for New Jerseyans. Thank you. There's a governor that I am so sorry won't be with us today.
08:01Although Governor Cody just passed away, his dedication to our state and his connection
08:07to her people won't be forgotten.
08:17I want to thank Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and Mayor Roz Baraka. Thank you for hosting
08:24us. Thank you to the people of Newark for hosting us here today. I want to thank the men and
08:31women of labor, especially the workers who proudly take care of this building.
08:45And congratulations to our Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Dale Caldwell. And to his daughter Ashley.
08:56I am so incredibly lucky to have a partner like you, and I look forward to making history
09:02with you today. To my kids, Maggie, Lincoln, Ike, Merritt, you guys are the reason I'm doing
09:16this, and I love being your mom. And finally, to my husband, Jason, you are a steady hand
09:30in the chaos of raising four kids, running multiple elections. You offer sage, and sometimes
09:37not sage, advice. You've been a true partner in the challenges we've taken on. You are amazing,
09:43and I love you.
09:54And I'm going to take a moment of personal privilege because it's bugging me, and I'm not sure if
09:58I said thank you to my mother-in-law and my father-in-law, Kathleen and Gary. Quite frankly,
10:11thank you to every single person here today. I value your support as we embark upon this
10:17administration and the challenges ahead. We enter 2026 commemorating our nation's 250th
10:26anniversary. New Jersey has been at the heart of our American story, the crossroads of the
10:36Revolution, the site of our first major victory at the Battle of Trenton, the first state to
10:42sign the Bill of Rights. So I am honored, as we gather here today, that we do so with New
10:48Jersey's original parchment copy of the Constitution on stage with us. One of only 13 known to be
10:56in existence. I wanted to take my oath on it. It's a little large. A document, by the way,
11:06that New Jersey unanimously ratified. The Constitution, born out of challenges of the early republic,
11:14clearly lays out our values to form a more perfect union, to promote the general welfare, to secure the
11:22blessings of liberty, to ourselves and our posterity. Because you see, inherent in our Constitution is a
11:29framework for opportunity, a commitment, a covenant that ties generations together. This commitment to
11:37opportunity for the people of our country is also known the world over as the American dream.
11:44And like so many families, my American story did not begin that auspiciously. From what relatives have
11:57told me, it includes people fleeing a famine, others fleeing religious persecution. And even once they
12:04arrived here, the road to success was uneven. Poverty, economic devastation, sometimes building something for
12:12your family, only to lose it. Forces beyond your control. But over and over again, this country has
12:20offered my family opportunity found nowhere else in the world. From my grandfather landing a good union job
12:27after the war, to my opportunities in the first class of women eligible for combat roles in the Navy,
12:39the American dream starts with opening a door.
12:47With an understanding that no matter who your parents are, where you're from, what religion you practice or ethnicity
12:52you claim, the doors to opportunity in this country should be open to everyone. That is the story of New Jersey.
13:01And yes, we are far from perfect. I know we are. But generations of families have found their American
13:12dream here. Immigrants sailing here from overseas. Black families leaving the South to come here to
13:17find work. People from all over the country and all over the world again and again and again finding
13:24an opportunity here. That's because New Jersey is an incredibly special place.
13:37The course of American history has been determined here. It was just across the street in Military Park where
13:42the cannons were just fired that Thomas Paine began to pen his pamphlet, The American Crisis. It galvanized a nation.
13:51During the Industrial Revolution, Trenton built this great nation.
13:54Picatinny Arsenal constantly defends our hard-won freedoms as the arsenal of our democracy.
14:00So here in New Jersey, we have invented everything from the light bulb to the moving picture to the laser.
14:06We have artists from Sinatra to Springsteen to SZA. New Jersey, in my humble opinion, never gets enough appreciation.
14:14So, as the newest leader of our great state, for all these artists, battles, and innovations,
14:21I just wanted to take a moment to say, you're welcome, America.
14:35And I'll also assure you that our state will continue our great history
14:50of standing in the breach when our nation needs us. You see, what makes us special
14:55is that sometimes, in some moments, the impossible is possible here.
15:03So we are unafraid to take on tough challenges. We never assume we've lost the fight before we even
15:10enter the ring. So when I get asked, and I do get asked, was I surprised at the results of this election?
15:17I can honestly say no, not in the least, because I know New Jersey. Yes, we are loud and brash,
15:25and sometimes we tan like it's 1980. Our giants, our jets, and eagles don't even claim our state
15:32is home despite our rabid devotion. There are an inordinate number of young men wearing chains here,
15:40including my two sons. We go home, we speak different languages. You know, in this election,
15:47I learned that in South Jersey, they pronounce Taylor Ham pork roll.
16:01But we all go home at night, and we hug our kids, and we worry about them. We worry about our parents.
16:08We worry about ourselves and our future. But because we live here, we refuse to give in to fear or despair.
16:17That spirit, defiant, yet always looking to the future, has always defined us. In fact,
16:25not too far away, in the greater Camden metropolitan region, in a place called Philadelphia,
16:32Thomas Jefferson wrote a declaration of our independence, marking the birth of this great nation.
16:40This entirely unique and revolutionary declaration claimed human beings had universal rights to life,
16:47to liberty, to the pursuit of happiness, not because of who their parents were,
16:53but because every human being is endowed with these rights by their creator, not by a king.
17:11The earth has rarely seen an idea put to paper that has ignited such a fire in her people. A fire that has
17:39burned for 250 years. As enslaved people, women, oppressed people from around the world,
17:48and from every walk of life, read our founding documents and demanded their own path to those
17:55same universal rights. Our declaration denounces tyranny and listed those attacks on our rights committed
18:04by England's king. The list of grievances in our Declaration of Independence included these charges
18:13against the king. He has refused his assent to laws. He has obstructed the administration of justice.
18:28He has made judges dependent on his will alone. And yes, he has kept among us, in times of peace,
18:40standing armies, without the consent of our legislatures.
18:44And this election proved that the people of New Jersey recognize the parallels. That we see a
19:12president illegally usurping power unconstitutionally enacting a tariff regime to make billions for
19:18himself and his family while everyone else sees their costs go higher. Here, we demand people in
19:25public service actually serve the public instead of buying themselves planes and cars and extorting money.
19:32And on November 4th, the people of New Jersey once again gave the nation a glimmer of something it
19:43hadn't felt in months. Hope. Yes, 250 years after the Declaration, 250 years after General George
19:54Washington crossed the Delaware into the Promised Land, I am proud to say that once again, New Jersey
19:59is leading the way. We value our freedoms and we believe in the promise of opportunity. And I want you
20:15to know that I will be fighting for you. And I hope, New Jersey, you'll remember me when you open up your
20:22electric bill and it hasn't gone up by 20 percent. I can promise you it won't be because I waste your money
20:33on a ballroom at Drum Thwacket.
20:40I'm going to spend every minute trying to make New Jersey more affordable and open doors to opportunity
20:47across our state. Because that's our history here. Opening doors to opportunity. Patriots who
20:53manned Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad stops from Cape May to Jersey City. Labor leaders like
20:59Peter Maguire who spurred the fight for fair wages and good working conditions. Alice Paul who fought for
21:05equal rights including a woman's right to vote. And Rabbi Joachim Prince who fled Nazi occupation,
21:13marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, and reminded us that the most urgent, the most disgraceful,
21:21the most shameful, and the most tragic problem is silence. Not here. Not New Jersey.
21:33These, these are some weary, weary years. But I will be damned if in this state at this time we cry any
21:50silent tears. We refuse to be silent. As so many doors are shut on too many of our friends and neighbors.
21:58Too many children and seniors who don't have enough to eat. People who work too hard and still can't
22:04get ahead. Communities living in fear. Children who are afraid their parents will disappear in an ice
22:09raid while they are at school. As we see Washington trying to shut the door on opportunity, on your
22:15safety and security, on education, on health care, on access to good jobs, on innovation and investments in
22:22energy and infrastructure. As we are seeing doors shut for families, for working people, for vulnerable
22:29communities, as they attempt to roll back the tide of progress. Not here.
22:43We are made of stronger stuff here. We are going to keep the doors open for your family.
22:59The doors that were opened for my family that led to me being here today.
23:05We are keeping the doors open and helping small business owners like Chuck, who owns a coffee shop
23:10and beer brewery in Clarksboro. We are keeping the doors open for Nadia, who owns a small restaurant
23:16in West New York, and Bill, who runs a barber shop in Trenton. We are keeping the doors open for Chris,
23:21a laborer in Jersey City who is trying to raise his kids and support his parents.
23:26We are keeping the doors open for students like Adam and Glenridge, so they don't face bullying as we
23:30take on the challenge of mental health and social media. We are keeping the doors open for the Patel
23:35brothers and businesses in Oak Tree Lane, Oak Tree Road in Edison, as we navigate a federal tariff regime,
23:41harming so many store owners and keeping costs high. We are keeping the doors open to millions of parents
23:50who want to keep their kids safe and ensure they have a bright future.
23:55And much like Noah's ark provided safety for the righteous, it is appropriate that today we are
24:03in Newark. We are here today to create a new haven, a new ark to open the door for those who thirst for
24:11liberty and prosperity, for everyone who seeks to strengthen our democracy, strengthen our economy,
24:28and strengthen our families. And the key, the key to all of this is opportunity. It's not a guarantee
24:37for success. It's a guarantee at a shot. And New Jerseyans know that. That's why our state always
24:44punches above its weight. Because we know exactly what we can do if we are given a shot. We can lead
24:52scientific innovation, create art that moves millions, build small businesses to lift up entire
25:00communities and homes to pass on to our kids. But for families to succeed, they need to be able to
25:08afford to live here, to thrive in New Jersey. And in too many cases, the promises from politicians to
25:16open doors to opportunity have been empty. Platitudes that don't address the key issues keeping families
25:24up at night. But I promise, as your governor, if it's keeping you up at night, it's going to be keeping
25:31me up at night. And as I have traveled across this state, speaking to thousands of New Jerseyans, your
25:39stories have stuck with me. But even more often, I heard you talking about your concerns for others.
25:46How are my neighbors going to feel safe? How are my children going to succeed? How are people who are
25:52struggling going to get access to food and health care? And most inspiring, how can we help?
26:00Your stories are why, again and again, I'm reminded of why I love New Jersey. And I have heard, beneath
26:07the noise, beneath the politics, a simple truth. Too many people are working too hard and still
26:15falling behind. They worry about rent or mortgage payments that rise faster than paychecks. They worry
26:21about the cost of child care that rivals college tuition. They worry about utility and health care
26:28bills that feel unpredictable and overwhelming. They worry about whether their children will be able
26:33to build a life in this state. And these concerns are not abstract. They're not ideological. They're an
26:41everyday reality for people in this state. So let me tell you plainly what my administration stands for.
26:48Lowering costs. Taking care of your kids. Making government accountable to the people.
26:57And as we get to work, charting out success, I have listened to you. And I have heard you. I've heard
27:04you in Trenton, where you want safer streets for kids, redevelopment programs that work, and to provide
27:10jobs, and for the state to pay its fair share. I've heard you in South Jersey, where you want jobs and
27:22transportation investments, innovative businesses, and not to be forgotten or left behind. I've heard
27:28you in Hudson County, where you want housing you can afford and to open small businesses without costly
27:33bureaucracy and red tape. I've heard you in New Jersey. We're facing an affordability crisis, and you
27:40want costs to come down. And you want that to begin today. You don't want a strongly worded letter,
27:46you don't want a 10-year study, and you don't want empty words. In short, you are sick of the status quo.
27:54Well, guess what, guys? So am I. So right now, yes, before I even begin this speech,
28:01or finish this speech, sorry. Just making sure you were paying attention.
28:09I'm going to sign my first in a series of executive orders to declare a state of emergency on utility costs.
28:23First, I am issuing an executive order giving the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities the authority
28:40to pause new utility requests for additional rate increases, and I will freeze rate hikes to
28:45finally provide families with real relief on their energy bills.
29:06Second, I am issuing an executive order directing the Board of Public Utilities to open solicitations
29:13for new solar and storage power generation, to modernize gas and nuclear generation,
29:19so we can lower utility costs over the long term.
29:29the next day of emergency. This is just the beginning, not of my speech, of my work.
29:47We're going to take on the affordability crisis and we're going to shake up the status quo. It won't be
29:52easy and hard choices have to be made to drive down costs as the federal
29:56government slashes funding and slams doors to opportunity but as I learned in
30:01the Navy the only easy day was yesterday but luckily we don't need easy here in
30:07New Jersey we have grit we're tough and when you hurt our families we're gonna
30:13fight we're gonna fight for jobs we're gonna fight for housing families can
30:17afford for good schools safe streets and ending skyrocketing utility costs and
30:23look I know that there are people here someone behind me probably who didn't
30:31vote for me
30:36and I know some of you are gonna be in my office yelling at me one day about some
30:43disagreements and yet as we sit here today I'm ready to fight to ensure that
30:50you can do just that without fear of reprisal or worried that you'll be
30:54investigated or unfairly prosecuted
31:13I took an oath over 25 years ago to do just that and you saw me taking it again
31:23today and I am NOT a leader who will shirk in the course of my duties so I
31:29learned a lot of important lessons in the Navy I learned that often it's not the
31:33profound or the revolutionary that is needed to accomplish the mission sometimes
31:37it's the basic brass tacks of getting the job done recognizing and doing your
31:44duty under this administration agencies will be judged by results not rhetoric we
31:51will work to make government more transparent we will work to save you
31:55time and money you may not agree with every decision we make but you'll know why
32:00we made it and you'll know that all of our decisions are made putting you the
32:05public first to my esteemed colleagues in the state legislature my cabinet and all
32:12the elected officials and civil servants across the state we have all chosen this
32:19path of public service it's a noble calling and it's a privilege we have a
32:25shared responsibility an opportunity to make people's lives better we do so
32:31through competence knowing that others are depending on us so they can open
32:36their businesses feed their families or ensure their children are safe and
32:39attend great schools we have to have a strong moral compass to serve self
32:46dealing and opportunism or antithetical to our service and we have to serve
32:51with compassion sometimes we work with people at really tough times in their
32:58lives when they've suffered a tragedy when a loved one is facing prison or when
33:04they're scared for their children or as I can personally attest to after they've
33:08had a really tough day and had to bring a colicky baby with them to get a
33:12driver's license it is in our power to make their lives easier better and at the
33:20heart of it we serve with commitment a desire to better the world and at the
33:27dawn of our nation as some of our very first public servants embarked upon their
33:32work to better New Jersey the people of New Jersey chose a state motto they were
33:39among the first to do so on the heels of a horrible war they narrowed in on those two
33:44things that they felt their countrymen had fought and died for liberty and
33:51prosperity today I take up their work again protecting Liberty ensuring that
33:57power is not placed in the hands of a few but rather that the universal rights of
34:03all New Jerseyans are protected and prosperity through opening the door to
34:10opportunity that is my commitment as your 57th governor thank you
34:20thank you and may God bless the great state of New Jersey and may God bless the
34:28United States of America thank you
34:58thanks
35:01thank you
35:10enough
35:10nothing
35:12you
35:14you
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