Monmouth State Sen. Vin Gopal Named Chair Of Mikie Sherrill's Gov. Campaign

EATONTOWN, NJ — Vin Gopal, Long Branch-Eatontown's representative to Trenton in the state Senate, just got a plum appointment:

He's been named the campaign chair of Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill's campaign for NJ governor. Sherrill is the Democrat who will battle Republican Jack Ciattarelli to be New Jersey's next governor this November.

As campaign chair, Gopal will head up Sherrill's fundraising efforts and be a key surrogate for her on the campaign trail. If Sherrill wins in November, it will be a major boost to Gopal's own political future, who's been named as a possible governor candidate himself some day.

The 2025 New Jersey governor's race is also shaping up to be a referendum on President Trump, and whether a majority of New Jersey voters approve of the job he's doing. In 2024, Trump received nearly 1.9 million votes in New Jersey (Kamala Harris won the state with 2.2 million), but Trump did well enough in the state to raise eyebrows, especially as there are far more registered Democrats in New Jersey than Republicans. (Trump’s Narrow Loss in New Jersey Signals a Shift to the Right, New York Times) Ciattarelli was endorsed by Trump in the Republican primary this June.

Sherrill is a first-term Congresswoman from North Jersey who spent almost 10 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy, where she was a helicopter pilot who flew missions in Europe and the Middle East, including during the Iraq war.

Ciattarelli is a former NJ state assemblyman from Raritan. This is Ciattarelli's third time seeking to be New Jersey's governor and Sherrill's first.

Gopal made clear Friday that he's ready to take hits at Ciattarelli:

“Mikie is a proven bipartisan leader who has a history of community service and bringing people together. Whether it is her service in the military, as a prosecutor, or as a member of Congress, she has always put service first," said Gopal. "We contrast that with career politician Jack Ciattarelli, who has been running for office for 40 years, unsuccessfully for governor multiple times, and has taken every policy position possible. He has already made it clear that the only person he plans to answer to is Donald Trump, not the people of New Jersey. This election couldn't have a clearer contrast."

Gopal is a Democrat who represents New Jersey's Legislative District 11, which includes the towns of Eatontown, Long Branch, Tinton Falls and more. He's currently in his third term representing this area in Trenton.

Sherrill also announced Dr. Patricia Campos-Medina, Justin Dews, and Karin Elkis as her campaign vice chairs. Campos-Media is a former U.S. Senate candidate and prominent community organizer with deep experience in labor and Latino voter mobilization. Dews, an attorney, is a former White House Associate Counsel, and former senior counsel to Governor Murphy. He currently serves as chair of the New Jersey Clemency Advisory Board and is an expert on criminal justice and public policy. Elkis is the co-chair of the New Jersey-Israel Commission, with strong ties and a command of issues facing state government, South Jersey and the Jewish community.