Grooves. Party-like atmosphere. Hey, there's Tahesha Way. There's Brendan Gill. Candidates from CD-11 are here. NJ PAC. Beautiful facility. Jersey accents on all sides.  Overdoing it maybe. But this is the place for that. The time. The place. Officious-looking types standing around with hands in their pockets waiting for the event to start. American Flag. New Jersey Flag. Projected testimonials on screens.

A lot of Trump angst in the room. Hated. Reviled. Disrespected. Despised.

Of course, Sherrill's a Democrat, so that's no surprise.

It won't all be about Trump, of course.

Brenda Flanagan of NJ Spotlight News: "She's coming in with a structural deficit. She's got a hole of $1.5 billion in this budget."

Back to that CD-11 Democratic Primary.

It hogs attention.

Well, why wouldn't it?

It's a special election for Mikie Sherrill's congressional seat.

Zach Beecher, one of the many CD-11 candidates, kicks out a statement, which reads in part:

"Today is a historic day for New Jersey. I want to congratulate Governor Mikie Sherrill as she takes the oath of office, breaking barriers as the first Democratic woman to lead our great state. It’s the same oath we both took when we started our service in the military, and I know she will continue to honor it, our state, and our country. I know because we’ve seen it right here in NJ-11."

He's a veteran. Army paratrooper.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone's in the room. (There he is now, next to Booker. They're on speaking terms after that special 2013 primary for the senate seat).

That doesn't mean he's not still focused on the issues in his district.

He kicks out a statement:

“I applaud Governor Murphy’s decision to sign this critical bill on his final day in office which will ensure that Long Branch will not lose the hospital services its community depends on. This law locks in a clear path to preserve inpatient care and a full-service emergency department at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, while allowing plans for a new facility in Tinton Falls to move forward responsibly. It prevents disruptions in care, avoids overburdening nearby hospitals, and guarantees that patients, especially vulnerable residents, will continue to have access to lifesaving services close to home. This is a meaningful, lasting action that puts patients first and delivers real certainty for the Long Branch community.”

Murphy's here too, of course.

The Murphys.

Some of the dignitaries start appearing onstage - slow-moving, hump-backed, mostly male, older - as Alicia Keys' voice fills the room: "This girl is on fire." The needle on that record gets yanked, however, mid song.

Now it's bagpipes. Solemn. Evocative.

The show begins.

New Jersey Lawmakers file in:

Craig Coughlin and company.

Outgoing (and that term can have two meanings here) grabs the hand of Tony Bucco. He stands next to Bucco. Don't ever let it be said he was too partisan, Murphy. See, he can even stand next to a Republican with Trump as president.

Here comes Caldwell (Dale) accompanied by his daughter. The new LG, well anyway, in a few minutes.

Now, here comes Sherrill. Lady of the hour.

 

Raucous applause.

Revolutionary War dudes in tricorn hats with period instruments (heavy on drum and flute) welcome in the Navy veteran and her family.

National anthem.

Coughlin.

Scutari.

Excitement.

And now it's on to the prayer.

Give her the discernment of Abigail.

Now, wait a minute, this is New Jersey, not Virginia.

Oh, it's David's wife from the Old Testament, not Spanberger.

 

Ah, it's time for Caldwell to take the oath of office.

Here he is.

Done.

He assumes the podium.

FULL REMARKS HERE.

A snippet here:

It is an incredible honor to stand here today. Becoming Lieutenant Governor was not something I ever imagined growing up. In fact, there was a time in our country’s history when such a moment would not have been possible.

Today is a reminder of what progress looks like. It is a reminder of what resilience, hope, and courage can achieve. And it is a reminder that our work of fulfilling the promise to We the People is never finished. It’s a sacred promise to the families, the workers, the students, the seniors, the dreamers, and the doers who make this state what it is.

Yesterday, we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose life continues to challenge each of us to push forward for justice and to fight to make that eternal promise a reality.

My father marched with Dr. King — and carried his message in his heart throughout his life.  My father taught me that faith must be active, not passive. He taught me that justice is not an idea — it is a responsibility. And he taught me that service is not optional. Especially for those who have been blessed with opportunity.

He wraps it up.

Outgoing LG Tahesha Way congratulates her successor.

Applause.

Solemn music ensues.

The Gov.-elect has a son named Lincoln.

No truth (apparently) to the rumor that Trump is livid, butt-hurt and furious that she doesn't have a son named Trump.

Sherrill gets sworn in.

She takes the podium.

(FULL!) remarks HERE.

Coughlin chucks out a statement thanking Murphy for his service.

 

But for now, here's a Sherrill speech snippet:

I am honored that, as we gather here today, we do so with New Jersey’s original parchment copy of the Constitution on stage with us — one of only 13 known to still be in existence. A document, by the way, New Jersey unanimously ratified.

The Constitution, born out of challenges of the early republic, clearly lays out our values: to form a more perfect union; to promote the general welfare, to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

You see, inherent in our Constitution is a framework for opportunity. A commitment, a covenant, that ties generations together.

This commitment to opportunity for the people of our country is also known the world over as the American Dream.

Like so many families, my American story did not begin that auspiciously. From what relatives have told me, it includes people fleeing a famine and others fleeing religious persecution. Even once they arrived here, the road to success was uneven. Poverty, economic devastation. Sometimes building something for your family only to lose it because of forces beyond your control.

But over and over, this country has offered my family opportunity found nowhere else in the world. From my grandfather landing a good union job after the war, to my opportunities in the first class of women eligible for combat roles in the Navy, the American Dream starts with opening a door. With an understanding that, no matter who your parents are, where you are from, what religion you practice, or ethnicity you claim, the doors to opportunities in this country should be open to everyone.

That is the story of New Jersey. And yes, we are far from perfect. But generations of families have found their American Dream here. Immigrants sailing here from overseas, Black families leaving the South to find work in New Jersey, people from all over the country and all over the world again and again, finding opportunity here in this state.

Sherrill always mentions Tom Paine, and she takes that opportunity here again, noting that he wrote The Crisis Papers in Newark, a stone's throw from NJPAC.

BELOW IS THE FULL Opening prayer for the ceremony delivered by the Rev. Pastor Charles Boyer:

Holy and Loving God, the God who has carried generations through danger seen and unseen— we pause at this moment because Your presence makes occasions like this sacred.

You are the God who lifts the lowly, who centers the forgotten, who calls leaders for such a time as this and gives them hearts to serve, courage to act, and compassion deep enough to hold the suffering of the people.

Today we gather at the threshold of a new chapter. And we ask You to cover Governor Mike Sherrill with Your wisdom, Your strength, and Your grace.

Grant her the discernment of Abigail, a woman who could see danger before it arrived and had the wisdom to speak peace into brewing conflict.

Give her the courage of Esther, who stepped into hard places, risked comfort for conviction, and stood so her people might live.

Grant her the steadfast love of Ruth, whose loyalty knit communities together and whose tenderness revealed the wideness of Your mercy.

Endow her with the fire of Deborah, the prophet who led not from pride but from purpose, who rose when her people needed clarity and courage.

Crown her with the dignity of Vashti, who stood firm in her God‑given worth and refused every form of objectivity and dehumanization.

And may she seek wisdom like the Queen of Sheba, always willing to travel beyond the familiar to hear truth, pursue understanding, and embrace insight wherever You reveal it.

Holy God, bless her family— strengthen their bond, protect their peace, and surround their home with love that steadies and restores.

And God, shape her leadership by Your heart for the least of these. May she measure success not by applause, but by how the vulnerable are lifted, how the hungry are fed, how the oppressed taste freedom, and how justice becomes not an aspiration but a lived reality.

God bless her Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell.

May the voice of his father Gil speak to him.

And may the spirit of their father, Morris Brown, guide him.

Lord bless everyone under Gov. Sherrill’s charge.

May her administration lead with integrity—choosing righteousness over convenience, truth over comfort, and compassion over calculation.

May her administration be marked by transparency, accountability, and a deep commitment to the common good.

May her administration create tables long enough for every voice to be heard and safe paths where every community can flourish.

Give her shoulders strong enough for the weight of responsibility, and give her a spirit tender enough to remain human in the midst of great demands. When the nights are long, grant her rest. When the decisions are heavy, grant her clarity. When the road is rough, grant her resilience. And when the work feels impossible, remind her that Your grace is sufficient.

Show her what our ancestors meant when we sung:

God of our weary years

God of our silent tears

Thou who has brought us thus far on the way

Thou who has by thy might

led us into the light

lead us forever in thy path we pray…

This is our prayer,

for this Governor …in the name that is above every name…

and let the whole state say Amen.