The reviews are in on how Gov. Mikie Sherrill handled her first major winter storm.
Published: Jan. 28, 2026, 12:26 p.m.came just a few days after she was sworn in as New Jersey’s new leader. For Jersey governors, that’s always a big litmus test with voters.Despite a few snags, the Democrat appears to have earned positive marks from both sides of the political aisle.
“Mayors and governors got a little bit of a break,” Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-Union, told NJ Advance Media. “The snow started during the day, during a Sunday. And the snow was kind of fluffy and light. It wasn’t during rush hour. The type of storm itself made it easier for the plows. But I don’t take anything away from her or any mayors because pretty much. It was a good job.” With several days’ notice, Sherrill said she and her rookie administration began coordinating with local officials as early as Inauguration Day last Tuesday. She followed up by, holding multiple press conferences, sharing a slew of social media posts, and conducting a barrage of TV and radio interviews over the weekend, telling residents to be prepared and stay home. The storm itself unfolded largely as forecasters predicted, blanketing the state with anywhere from a few inches to more than a foot of snow on Sunday.Parents who often hang by threads before the first cup of coffee, dealt with school closings Monday and delayed openings Tuesday. Everyone negotiated new morning routines. Kids got to sleep in; parents got to age five years before 9 a.m. But that happens with any big storm. Despite such hiccups, politicians and political insiders offered mostly positive assessments of Sherrill’s first major weather test. That marks a shift from previous first‑storm reviews of former Govs. “This was a major mess-up for the last two governors, and this governor’s team did a great job on our state roads and keeping everyone in the loop,” state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth — who was Sherrill’s campaign chair last year — wrote in Dan Bryan, a former Murphy adviser and press secretary, said governors are judged on two key factors during storms: the decisions they make beforehand, such as declaring a state of emergency, and how effectively they communicate with the public. “In both categories, Sherrill excelled in her first storm,” Bryan said. “She was decisive early on and communicated well. … I think it was a big first test, and I think she passed with flying colors.” Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University and the former press secretary to Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey, offered a similar assessment. “State highways were cleared quickly, and we had all the resources we needed,” Rasmussen said. “Some towns took longer to clear their local roads, so she may want to check in with mayors to make sure the ‘last mile’ doesn’t become a pain point. “All in all, New Jersey was on top of the storm and stayed on top of it,” Rasmussen added. “We can be tough to impress, but as the person responsible for how effectively our state government runs, if the governor can keep that up every day, she will get the credit for it.”Jelani Gibson is the content lead for NJ Cannabis Insider, a section of NJ.com & The Star-Ledger. Previously he was a Gun Violence Reporter for the Kansas City Star. Gibson graduated from the Mayborn School of...
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