PARSIPPANY - Many Republicans probably think Mikie Sherrill is going to be the Democratic nominee for governor.

That sentiment is pretty evident in Morris County where a small, but influential, group of elected GOP officials and leaders met Monday for lunch at the Capital Grille.

"Mikie Sherrill is very popular in Morris County," acknowledged Thomas "Ace" Gallagher, the mayor of Hanover Township. Morris, of course, represents a large part of Sherrill's 11th congressional district.

Sherrill's perceived popularity is a potential problem for Morris Republicans, some of whom fear her candidacy this fall may mean more votes for Democrats down ballot.

Today's gathering was designed to highlight that threat and to raise money to combat it.

State Sen. Anthony M. Bucco, the minority leader, said that years ago, once a Republican won the primary, the race was over

But now, in a more competitive county, "We fight for every vote."

Two caveats are needed here.

It is true that the Dems have had some success at the top of the ballot.

Sherrill has carried Morris every time she has run and Joe Biden and Cory Booker won the county in 2020. (Donald Trump won it last year).

But that has not filtered down to state, county and most municipal races. Republicans hold every county office and all state legislative seats covering Morris County.

By any measure, Morris is an extremely desirable place to live. So it's hard for opponents to convince voters that a political change is needed. That is not changing. For example, County Sheriff James Gannon is running unopposed this fall for the second election cycle in a row. Democrats are fielding county commission candidates this year, but it is still an uphill battle.

The second caveat is that there is no guarantee Sherrill will win the nomination and top the Dems' fall ticket.

A recent poll put Steve Fulop only a few points behind her.

Bucco, in fact, argued why Sherrill would not make a good candidate, or governor.

He noted how the last two Democratic governors - Jon Corzine and Phil Murphy - have lacked municipal experience.

"They don't understand how their policies affect people on the local level. They haven't been there," he said.

Sherrill, who has only served in Congress, can fit that description too.

If Bucco reaches that conclusion, so will Sherrill's primary opponents.

With six candidates in the Democratic field, the primary remains wide open.