Latest news with #Sherrill
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7 hours ago
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This retiree says 'I have no money now' after sinking her life savings into a half-built house in Florida
Some homebuyers in Citrus Springs, Florida, are in shock after the Van Der Valk Construction company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April, leaving many homes unfinished. The Citrus County-based company is leaving many homeowners, mostly retirees, holding the bag financially. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) 'I have no money now,' said Dyandria Darel, a homeowner planning to move into this Florida retirement home from New York City, in an interview with ABC Action News. 'It's not only a retirement home, it was virtually my entire life savings,' Darel said. 'I put the money down on this house in 2022. It's now 2025.' The unfinished homes are sitting in the Florida sunshine as the homeowners consider their limited options in the midst of this financial nightmare. Frank Sherrill first hired Van Der Valk Construction to build a Citrus Springs home in 2022. When the company filed for bankruptcy on April 30 of this year the house was still unfinished. 'I need flooring. I need all the baseboards put in. All the framing for the doors,' Sherrill said. 'There's a few times where I've, you know, I cried a little bit, you know, thinking about it, because it's been hard.' Sherrill, an Illinois native, paid the company $200,000 in cash upfront to start construction. While the house has a roof, it's far from finished. According to the latest reports, he's currently talking to another contractor about finishing the house. But the additional help will mean additional expenses. As the situation drains Sherrill's bank account, he's not alone. Many other homeowners, mostly retirees, are also seeing their retirement savings dwindle as this process drags out. Van Der Valk Construction claims ongoing legal issues are partially to blame for the bankruptcy situation. According to the bankruptcy filings, at least 58 homeowners will take a financial hit of some level. Beyond homebuyers, subcontractors and employees will be out of job. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it Beyond unfinished homes, Van Der Valk Construction has received extensive criticism from residents of the Inverness Villages Unit 4 about the neighborhood's poorly built infrastructure. The Citrus County neighborhood was built without a drainage system or paved streets. As the years unfold and hurricanes inflict wind and rain on the area, the sandy streets have trapped vehicles in some places and eroded away in others. 'I literally had to go buy a 4x4 Jeep, so I can get in and out when it's raining, when it's, you know, overflowing,' Tania Ruiz-Barreto, resident of Inverness Village 4, told ABC Action News. Frustrated residents have filed legal cases against the company. As these issues frustrate current residents, the situation serves as a warning for prospective homebuyers. When exploring your home purchase options, look beyond the features of the home to take a closer look at what's happening beyond your property line. Consider the infrastructure of the community. If you don't want to drive through unpaved roads to reach your door, then consider looking elsewhere if a potential home doesn't have the neighborhood amenities you have in mind. In addition to the neighborhood, consider other factors that will impact your homeownership costs, like the insurance market. In disaster-prone areas, like Florida, home insurance costs are soaring. This could make owning a home there more expensive. Plus, living in a disaster-prone area can be a stressful experience. Explore all of your options before putting down roots in a home that is likely to face impacts from hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, or all of the above. Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This is how American car dealers use the '4-square method' to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
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2 days ago
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Mikie Sherrill's Narrative Fatigue
As New Jersey begins early voting for their gubernatorial primaries, voters are looking for candidates stories to take to the ballot box. This is where frontrunner Mikie Sherrill could find herself in trouble. Democratic contender Rep. Josh Gottheimer weaves a tale of his upbringing in Essex County, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka touts his recent arrest at an ICE protest, and Mayor Steven Fulop builds an account of Jersey Citys transformation. Mikie Sherrill has credentials - a current U.S. representative, former Navy pilot, and federal prosecutor - but unlike the others, she lacks a story. This could ultimately spoil her bid. Julie Roginsky, a longtime Democratic strategist, notes that she cant tell "what [Sherrills] running on right now other than [her resume]." Many of Sherrills policy proposals on healthcare, cooperative federalism, and housing are extensions of the incumbent Murphy administration, not transformative new initiatives. In turn, voters are supporting alternatives to dissent from her unoriginality and "platitudes." The Sherrill campaign refuses to address the tension between her presentation and its relation to voter concerns. Twenty-two percent of New Jerseyans rank the economy as their top issue, followed by immigration (13%) and candidate character (11%). Voters aged 50+ and older, the most powerful electoral bloc in the Garden State, prioritize property tax relief, retirement security, and long-term care reform. Military service doesnt automatically make someone better at managing a states economy and services. Sherrill doesnt demonstrate that it can in her marketing, interviews, or speeches, either. Her campaign is betting that this doesnt matter. A 2022 Pew Research poll found that 49% of Americans - and 53% of registered voters - said they like political leaders who are also veterans. Sherrills campaign website is laden with military imagery, with her "about" page mentioning her armed services experience a whopping 13 times. County Democratic committees that endorsed Sherrill, such as Essex, focus on similar messaging. Even recent advertisements and her debate performance spell this background out for viewers. This is the campaigns core, and theyll mention it whenever possible. Her campaign runs on the assumption that voters will intrinsically admire her credentials without explaining what it means for her home states future. It could be a ploy for cross-party appeal, as Republicans are more likely than Democrats to value military experience in candidates. Nevertheless, its an approach that lacks substance, and this could limit voters faith in Sherrill. Even on the rare occasions when she does talk policy, her ideas arent new. She pledges to uphold Gov. Murphys goal of achieving 100% clean energy by 2035. She echoes Murphys stance on immigration policy by keeping New Jerseys "sanctuary" status and lauds his stance on New Jersey Transit funding. She, like Murphy, seeks to be tough on President Donald Trump and challenge federal law. Garden State powerbrokers love Sherrills continuation of the Murphy regime and have made her the establishment pick. Yet, todays political climate increasingly rewards candidates who deviate from the status quo, and New Jersey is no exception. Murphys approval rating has steadily declined over his governorship, in part due to his lackluster transit funding plan. Only 25% of voters say his policies align with theirs, and 60% of state independents want the next governor to work with President Trump, with state voters evenly split over mass deportations. Sherrill is imitating an already-told story, and its reception is suboptimal. By not staking out positions beyond Murphys agenda, Sherrill lets his achievements and shortcomings speak for her. That might not cut it in an open election. While name recognition, fundraising, and endorsements can render a campaign competitive at the surface level, narratives require ownership. German philosopher Martin Heidegger once discussed the concept of eigentlichkeit, or authenticity, in which individuals must choose and commit to a meaningful path rather than living passively or according to external scripts. A campaign shouldn't manufacture a persona or copy anothers playbook one-to-one; it must be a genuine and full expression of the candidates beliefs and history. Ownership guarantees coherence because the story arises from the candidate as a lived reality and demands consistency between message and action. Without ownership, campaign narratives become empty spectacle - stories told about someone, not by them. In democratic politics, only those who craft their stories organically with conviction can hope to lead others into a shared and believable future. In the last stretch, other primary candidates can capitalize on Sherrills weakness by anchoring their emotionally resonant narratives in concrete policy perceptions. Former State Senate President Steve Sweeney often invokes his background as a union ironworker and raising his daughter with disabilities. But he can go further, framing his political journey as a commitment to family and community, and turn it into a bold economic equity agenda that includes expanded labor protections and a state disability benefits overhaul. Baraka can integrate his fathers legacy as a poet to reinforce his image as a social justice champion, and Gottheimer can apply his time at the Federal Communications Commission to push for affordable broadband and infrastructure. Storytelling isnt fluff, but a powerful tool for political persuasion. In New Jersey, the growing desire for outsider energy and policy innovation demands that the next governor inject emotional authenticity into their policy goals and localize their story to build beyond their home base. If they want to beat Sherrill, challengers need to build a narrative that is wholly theirs, inspiring, and implementable. Alex Rosado is a professional programs assistant at the Alexander Hamilton Society. Follow him on Twitter/X at @Alexprosado.
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2 days ago
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NJ Governor's Race 2025: Here's who is running in the primary
NEW JERSEY - The race for New Jersey's next governor is well under way with the primary fast approaching, and 11 candidates vying to replace term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy. This is also New Jersey's first governor's race without the state's unique and controversial county-line, a ballot design that allowed local party leaders to give preferred candidates prime positioning. Six Democrats and five Republicans have secured their spots on the June 10 ballot, submitting the required number of voter signatures to qualify as primary candidates before the general election on November 4. Here's who is running for the GOP and Democratic Party: A former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, the congresswoman now represents New Jersey's 11th District. Her goals as governor include bringing down costs for New Jersey families, from grocers to housing and healthcare, while improving access to public transportation and fixing aging infrastructure. Sherrill also wants New Jersey to be the "first line of defense" in protecting reproductive rights. If Sherrill resigns from Congress to run, state law requires the governor to call a special election if the seat opens more than 70 days before the general election. A congressman from New Jersey's 5th District, Gottheimer is also co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He says he is running to be the "lower taxes, lower costs Governow," aiming to address the high cost of living in New Jersey. Baraka has been the mayor of Newark since 2014, and is aiming to prioritize economic growth, educational advancement, housing accessibility, and inclusive policies in his run for governor. Last month, the mayor was arrested outside a federal immigration detention center while protesting its opening. He claims he was invited to a press conference and was arrested on the sidewalk, despite not trespassing. Fulop is a former Marine with a background in finance, who has been the mayor of Jersey City since 2013. His campaign has focused on "comprehensive and impactful" policies, including affordability and sustainability initiatives, along with "meaningful" government reform. Spiller is the president of the New Jersey Education Association and former mayor of Montclair. With strong union backing, he plans to advocate for New Jersey's educators and students while improving local infrastructure, enhancing community services, and reducing tax burden. Sweeny led the Democratic caucus for over a decade as the former state Senate president, who "focused on improving the lives of all New Jerseyans." His policies in the run for governor include fighting for workers, disability rights and seniors; lowering costs, and defending women's reproductive freedom. The former state assemblyman came close to beating Gov. Murphy in 2021, losing by just three points. He is running again in 2025 with policies to "make New Jersey affordable again," reform government and "find common ground" on abortion rights. President Donald Trump endorsed Ciattarelli for governor last month, saying he's gone "ALL IN" on the "Make America Great Again" agenda. The Burlington County contractor made an unsuccessful bid last year, running as a conservative third-party candidate to succeed now-Senator Andy Kim. Barbera told the New Jersey Globe that if elected governor, he would "take executive action to protect gun rights, lower taxes on social security and pension payments, and institute cost-of-living adjustments for police." The former conservative talk radio host claims to be a "political outsider, the opposite of the career politicians running for Governor." He says he would defend New Jersey from illegal immigration, make New Jersey affordable, and fix the state's "crumbling" infrastructure. The state Senator served five terms as the Republican Leader of the Republican Caucus in the Assembly. Bramnick says he wants to "restore balance in New Jersey" with several policies addressing costs, safety, and overdevelopment throughout the state. The former mayor of Englewood Cliffs has also positioned himself as a "political outsider" and "unapologetic supporter of President Trump." He plans to work with Trump to secure the border, while lowering property taxes, making the government more transparent, and "protecting life from conception to natural death."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
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Congresswoman running for N.J. governor is target of escalating attacks on campaign trail
Three of Rep. Mikie Sherill's Dem rivals have turned their sights on her as the June 10 gubernatorial primary approaches. (Amanda Brown for New Jersey Monitor) With less than two weeks to go before the June 10 primary, Democrats vying to become New Jersey's next governor have stepped up their attacks on Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who election observers and pollsters consider to be the race's front-runner. In new television ads and mailers, Sherrill's rivals have bashed her wealth, her establishment ties, and past campaign contributions she accepted from a PAC associated with SpaceX, the spaceflight company helmed by Elon Musk. The grievances aren't new, but they're escalating as the primary approaches. And they're coming from candidates like Steve Fulop and Ras Baraka, who are running as anti-establishment insurgents, as well as party darlings like Steve Sweeney as they look to erode Sherrill's support among voters, many of whom remain undecided. 'Why on earth would Mikie Sherrill vote to send millions in taxpayer funds to Elon and SpaceX? Musk be the money he gave her campaigns. End the corruption!' says an ad from Coalition for Progress, a PAC boosting Fulop's candidacy (its treasurer is Fulop's wife's business partner). Another ad from Baraka's campaign takes aim at Sherrill for both the SpaceX donations and profits Sherrill and her husband, a banker, made from stock trades. The congresswoman, along with other politicians, paid a fine several years ago for disclosure failures. 'Mikie Sherrill let us down. Mikie took $30,000 from Elon Musk's campaign fund, while Trump attacked abortion access,' the ad's narrator says. Sherrill, after speaking to voters in Somerset Tuesday, told the New Jersey Monitor that the uptick in negative campaigning against her is 'a shame to see.' 'A lot of that's based on false information from Newsmax, which is paying $40 million in court settlements for misinformation. And I'm the only person in the race that's put out my tax return for state and federal over the last two years. It's all really transparent,' she said. Sherrill's congressional campaign received $24,000 between 2019 and September 2024 from the SpaceX PAC, while a Sherrill-affiliated leadership PAC received another $7,500 total from the PAC in 2020 and 2022. Sherrill donated the amount her campaign received to a food bank, her campaign filings show. When Charlamagne tha God, a host on the radio show The Breakfast Club, interviewed Sherrill last week and asked her to confirm claims in Baraka's campaign ad — plus in news reports — that she made $7 million in stock trades, Sherrill said she didn't know. 'I haven't, I don't believe I did, but I'd have to go see what, what that was alluding to,' she said. 'Look, I, both my husband and I come from very middle-class families. My parents were the first in their family to go to college and his were both teachers, and then we both went into the military. And afterwards he got a good job and, I, we've been really lucky. I really, I really deeply feel like this country has provided an incredible amount of opportunity to us and that's why I think I feel a responsibility to sort of pay that forward.' The clip of the interview promoted on social media prompted a succinct reaction from Sweeney. 'Yikes,' he wrote. Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City, told the New Jersey Monitor that the criticism facing Sherrill is fair given the race's high stakes. He doesn't think Sherrill, if she wins the Democratic primary in June, can pull off a general election win in November, citing mounting public disillusionment with Democrats in both D.C. and Trenton. Sherrill has the backing of key New Jersey Democratic Party officials. 'She's a creature of the political establishment,' Fulop said. 'She has the same machine infrastructure and the same playbook as was run in the last 25 years. And the nature of where the state is and the country is, is not that. After eight years of Democratic machine politics, it's going to be hard for any Democrat that is part of that structure to be elected.' He pointed to Jack Ciattarelli, a former assemblyman and the front-runner on the Republican side of the race, and his habit of hammering Trenton lawmakers for things like skyrocketing taxes and electric bills. Fulop said Sherrill makes an easy target for Ciattarelli because she's 'the status quo machine politician.' If she prevails in the primary, Fulop said, 'Jack Ciattarelli's biggest talking point is going to be 'four more years of Phil Murphy.' 'You like your taxes? Four more years of Phil Murphy. You like your energy bill? Four more years of Phil Murphy.'' Requests for comment from Baraka's and Sweeney's campaigns were not returned. Sherrill campaign spokesman Sean Higgins disputed the claim that Sherrill would be a weak general election candidate, and highlighted the electoral histories of the three men criticizing her. Baraka and Fulop won elections in towns that have nonpartisan municipal races, while Sweeney lost his bid for reelection in 2021 to a Republican whom Sweeney vastly outspent. 'Mikie has actually beaten Trump Republicans election after election — while the mayors have never faced a competitive general and Senator Sweeney famously lost to a MAGA Republican,' Higgins said. Asked to respond to Fulop's complaint that Sherrill is a creature of the political establishment, Sherrill said, 'I think most people would find that a really odd statement coming from Steve Fulop.' Sophie Nieto-Muñoz contributed. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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28-05-2025
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They helped Democrats win back the House in 2018. Now they're taking on a new mission
In 2018, Democrats won back the House — ending eight years of Republican control — with the help of dozens of candidates with national security backgrounds who vowed to serve as a check against the first Trump administration. This year, two of those successful candidates — Virginia's Abigail Spanberger and New Jersey's Mikie Sherrill — are taking on a new challenge following President Donald Trump's return to power: running for governor. As Democrats grapple with how best to improve their diminished standing with voters, the upcoming races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey will serve as crucial tests for the party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Spanberger's and Sherrill's campaigns could offer critical clues to next year's candidates as they seek to understand the mood of the electorate a year after Trump's 2024 victory. The two candidates — and former Capitol Hill roommates — are facing vastly different races. Sherrill is one of half a dozen candidates seeking to portray themselves as the Democratic fighter best positioned to take on the eventual Republican nominee and the Trump administration ahead of a June 10 primary. One recent Sherrill ad warns that Jack Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by Trump this month, will bring the president's 'MAGA agenda' to the state. The spot highlights Sherrill's record as a Navy pilot and federal prosecutor and describes her as the Democrat 'Republicans fear.' Spanberger — who, like her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, is running unopposed — is directing much of her focus toward criticizing the record of outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The former CIA intelligence officer has hammered Earle-Sears and Youngkin over their response to the Department of Government Efficiency as the Elon Musk-led effort aims to shrink the size of the federal workforce that employs more than 300,000 Virginians. Spanberger, who did not run for reelection in the House last year, and Sherrill, who held on to her seat, are portraying themselves as results driven and willing to buck their party if necessary. 'People can label me however they want as a question of policy, but I think what is the most substantial characteristic that I ascribe to myself is pragmatic,' Spanberger told CNN in an interview earlier this year. 'Throughout my time in Congress, my frustration — when I had expressed it at various different points in time — was rooted in that pragmatism.' They are also testing out ways to message on economic concerns, an area where Trump held a significant advantage among voters last November but has seen some erosion amid his trade war. They're also acknowledging that, if they're elected in these new roles, they would be in a much better position to impact the lives of a larger swath of people. 'At this moment, the fight is really in the states, that's where the front line is,' Sherrill told CNN after a campaign event in Elizabeth, New Jersey. 'It's going to be strong Democratic governors who can best help the nation.' Sherrill said Democrats need to build the party from the ground up by 'taking an expansive view of state power' as they push to make life more affordable for voters and run effective governments. Even as Democrats are working to counter Trump administration policies, the party must continue to keep a focus on kitchen-table issues, she said. 'Sometimes we get caught up in some of the concerns we have — which are huge, huge concerns — about what's coming up in Washington, but don't always remind people of the work we're doing to drive down costs,' Sherrill said. Democrats flipped 41 House seats in the 2018 midterm elections and elected 67 new members overall. Three cycles later, about half of them are still in office. Several have already sought higher office. Andy Kim of New Jersey and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan were both elected to the US Senate, while former Reps. Colin Allred of Texas, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida and Katie Porter of California lost Senate bids last year. A handful are also running in primaries ahead of next year's midterm elections. Former Interior Secretary and New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland is running for governor in her state, as is Porter. Reps. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Haley Stevens of Michigan and Angie Craig of Minnesota are all running for Senate. Dan Sena, the executive director of House Democrats' campaign arm during the 2018 cycle, described the candidates who ran then as 'independent, country first-driven' leaders who at times stood up to their own party. Sena, who is now working with an outside group supporting Sherrill's campaign, said Democrats should look to the 2018 recruiting formula next year. 'They should be looking for candidates that can support the Democratic Party but look and feel like a different type of Democrat: a Democrat with a record of service, a Democrat that's a patriot, a Democrat that puts their country first,' he said. Virginia and New Jersey shifted toward Trump during the 2024 election, but history suggests political headwinds are likely to favor Democrats in the upcoming gubernatorial races. Over the last several decades both states have elected candidates from the party that lost the White House the year before, with two exceptions: Democrat Terry McAuliffe won the 2013 Virginia governor's race after President Barack Obama was reelected, and Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was reelected in 2021 after President Joe Biden won in 2020. Both seats are open due to the incumbents being term-limited. Democrats are also hoping to capitalize on high-profile Republican legislation, just as they did in 2018 when Democratic candidates blasted their opponents over their votes backing a failed effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. This time around, Democrats are pointing to the sweeping tax and spending cuts proposal House Republicans passed last week, which would add work requirements to Medicaid and make deep cuts to food stamps. 'Winning these campaigns is really about being able to explain to voters the ways in which these candidates are going to stand up for them and fight for them,' said Jessica Mackler, the president of EMILY's List, which works to elect women who support abortion rights and has long backed Spanberger and Sherrill. Republicans have started preparing their own messaging on the bill, arguing that provisions like no taxes on tips are popular, and that the restrictions on Medicaid benefits will sustain the program for those who need it most. 'It's going to be imperative you tie them to national trends that are potentially negative in party politics that they're going to have to deal with in both New Jersey and Virginia,' one GOP strategist who has worked on House campaigns said of Spanberger and the eventual Democratic nominee in New Jersey. Spanberger and the field of New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidates are attempting to rehabilitate the party's brand when it comes to economic issues. Or, at the very least, not be associated with it. Patricia Campos-Medina, a labor leader and former New Jersey US Senate candidate backing Sherrill, said affordability is the No. 1 issue for Garden State voters — including housing, transportation and energy bill costs. 'That's how we counteract this idea that Trump and the Republicans are the only ones who care about the economy and your job,' Campos-Medina said. 'Democrats care about the economy and jobs and housing and schools and transportation, and that's the message that's going to resonate.' At events in northern New Jersey, Sherrill repeatedly pointed to her proposals to build more residences to reduce housing costs. At a recent campaign event at a family-owned drugstore in Mechanicsville, a small, Republican-leaning town outside Richmond, Spanberger laid out her plan to lower health care and prescription drug costs. She also referenced the influence that health care issues had on her decision to first run for Congress. 'Back in 2017 I watched my member of Congress vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act,' Spanberger said. 'It was then that I knew that I needed to run against him.' As she highlighted her plan to boost the affordability of Virginia's health care as governor, Spanberger said she saw similarities between the 2017 health care debate and the current fight over the far-reaching domestic policy bill. 'Now, unfortunately, we're seeing much of the same, which is an effort to further degrade a health care system that very frankly and objectively needs improvements,' Spanberger told reporters. In interviews, Democratic primary voters in both New Jersey and Virginia said they were looking for governors who would serve as a check on the Trump administration. Many expressed frustrations with the Democratic Party, which they said either did not have a clear, unifying message or needed to focus more on affordability issues. Mary Butler, a 74-year-old retired social worker from Mechanicsville who attended Spanberger's speech and plans to support her in November, said health care access was deeply important to her because she saw how a lack of access could impact her former clients. Asked to assess national Democrats' performance, she said the party's vision wasn't being communicated well. 'Why isn't there a really strong message being given — one clear, strong message?' Butler said. 'It's a real question mark for me, I don't understand it.' At a campaign stop over Memorial Day weekend, Sherrill gave her stump speech and took questions from a few dozen voters at a pizza shop in Jersey City, where one primary opponent, Steven Fulop, serves as mayor. The questions focused on housing costs, education and how Sherrill, as governor, would respond to parts of the president's agenda, such as immigration. Sherrill criticized Republicans, from Ciattarelli to members of Congress, for not pushing back on the president. She likened them to sailors on a ship ignoring impending danger for fear of reprisal over speaking out. 'A lesson I learned in the Navy: The worst thing you can do is to run a ship aground,' Sherrill said. 'And you find when you do that, that people on that ship know it's going to run aground, and they don't say anything because they're scared.' Susan Murphy, a 57-year-old retired theater teacher and Jersey City native, said she will vote for whoever wins the Democratic nomination, but she thought Sherrill seemed to be the strongest to go up against a 'MAGA Republican.' She said she viewed Democratic governors as a check on the administration and wondered why national leaders in her party seemed unprepared to take on the Trump administration at the start of his term. 'I know that their hands are tied in terms of holding Trump accountable in many ways,' she said. 'My problem is, why weren't they ready? Why did it take so long?' David Patel, a 59-year-old business owner from Jersey City who is backing Sherrill, said Democrats 'need to learn what people want.' He said he sometimes gets frustrated with what he described as his party's tendency to focus on issues 'that don't matter.' Asked what those issues are, he instead pointed to what he would like to hear about: health care, job creation and training, and education. He said he hoped losing the presidential election would get the party back on track: 'I think they got the message.'
