WALDWICK - A new administration means a new start and for Mikie Sherrill, hope truly does spring eternal.

"There's a sense that ... we want to see a different kind of politics. We don't want to see hatred and division."

So said an optimistic governor-elect Wednesday afternoon after talking to diners at Matthew's Diner in this Bergen County town.

She did acknowledge the obvious - there will be disagreements.

But... "What I'm interested in, is how we can bring people together around issues that we all want to address."

She said that as a congresswoman - her job until a month ago - she worked to serve her entire 11th District, noting that flooding is not a Democratic or Republican issue. That will also be her mindset in Trenton, she said.

Republican state Sen. Holly Schepisi, whose 39th District includes Waldwick, attended Sherrill's diner visit.

In a separate chat, she said basically the same thing as the incoming Democratic governor.

That is, for the good of New Jersey, both parties have to strive for common ground as much as possible.

There is no dispute on what the key issue is - New Jersey is too expensive.

There was no mistaking that message as Sherrill circulated around the diner from table to table.

She told one table of diners about her website, which is inviting residents to submit ideas. She said her staff reviews all suggestions.

At another table, a transplant from North Carolina said he "loves" New Jersey, but lamented the departure of too many corporations. This gets to the core point that the state is too expensive for residents and businesses.

Sherrill said her take is that many businesses are confronted with too many state regulations and too much "red tape." She has pledged to cut some of that tape and scale back regulations.
Moving around, she reiterated her plan to freeze electric rates through executive order on day one, but said New Jersey also needs to produce more energy. She mentioned nuclear and solar.

Interacting with average people can bring surprises - some welcome, some not.

On that score, Sherrill got a very welcome surprise when she encountered two women who were big fans.

"You were ahead by a mile," said one of them, Ellen Toscano, notwithstanding reports the race would be close. Now that she's won, Toscano told Sherrill, "It's not going to be easy, but you've got the stuff."

Waldwick by the way was an interesting election story.

Here, it was close. Sherrill beat Jack Ciattarelli by 70 votes. Also of note, two Democrats won council seats after being endorsed by some of the borough's prominent Republicans.

As she spoke to reporters outside, Sherrill was asked by a New York radio station what she thought of Zohran Mamdani, the city's incoming mayor, talking about next year's World Cup being a New York City event.

The New Jersey governor-elect said simply that with all due respect, the mayor-to-be should remember where the area matches are being played.

That's MetLife Stadium. In East Rutherford.