Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for Governor of New Jersey, is under renewed examination after it was disclosed that both of her children have gained acceptance into the selective Naval Academy. This announcement follows troubling reports linking Sherrill to a significant cheating scandal during her time as a midshipman.
In June, Sherrill’s office announced that her children, Lincoln and Margaret Hedberg, were among nine students from her area admitted to the Naval Academy, which boasts an extremely low acceptance rate of just 9%.
Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and former interim Senator George Helmy (D-NJ) each nominated one of her children, as reported by The Post. Congress members typically have the ability to nominate 15 candidates for each vacant position at the Academy, allowing them to designate a principal nominee. Members are permitted to have five constituents enrolled at the Academy at any given time, according to Academy guidelines.
In light of the stringent admissions process, some online commentators, including the Libs of TikTok, expressed disbelief over the simultaneous acceptance of both Sherrill’s children.
“What are the odds?” posted the popular conservative account on X.
Sherrill maintains the integrity of their admissions. “To avoid the appearance of any conflict of interest, my children did not participate in my office’s service academy nomination process,” she clarified in a statement to The Post. “They sought nominations from the U.S. senators from New Jersey, and I take pride in their accomplishments.”
It remains uncertain whether either Booker or Helmy designated one of Sherrill’s children as their principal nominee or if the congresswoman attempted to advocate on their behalf.
“This is an unethical and depraved attack,” asserted Sean Higgins, Sherrill’s campaign communications director, in response to the scrutiny regarding her children’s admissions.
Higgins also criticized allies of Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli—who has recently narrowed the gap with Sherrill in polls—for “desperately attacking Mikie’s family.”
“It’s appalling and reflects poorly on Jack Ciattarelli’s suitability for governor,” he added.
It is important to note that congressional nominations do not guarantee admission. Candidates must obtain a nomination from an authorized source, which can include federal lawmakers or the president, along with meeting various academic and physical standards to be admitted.
Other parents of new Naval Academy midshipmen came to Sherrill’s defense, with one mother stating she wished to remain anonymous: “Sherrill attended the nomination ceremony and was friendly to everyone. Her daughter underwent a more extensive process than other candidates who were directly admitted; she attended NAPS [the Navy Preparatory School].”
A proud mother of four from the affluent community of Montclair, Sherrill is also a Naval Academy graduate herself, having completed her studies in 1994 before going on to become a helicopter pilot.
Last week, her gubernatorial campaign faced a major upheaval with reports that she was prohibited from participating in her graduation ceremony due to a cheating scandal surrounding her class, which she claimed was linked to her refusal to inform on classmates.
Adding to the controversy, Sherrill’s husband, Jason Hedberg, was reportedly involved in a failed lawsuit that attempted to prevent an investigation into him and several other students regarding the cheating incident, as revealed by The Post last week.
