Instagram photo
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
MORRISTOWN, NJ — Under gray skies and in front of a crowd of roughly 3,000 umbrella-covered supporters, Mikie Sherrill kicked off her general election campaign as the newly minted Democratic nominee for governor. But as she spoke of New Jersey’s revolutionary spirit and its national significance in 2025, she paused mid-sentence — struck by the sight of a ghost from the state’s political past.
“I just saw something that kind of made me smile,” she said, glancing into the crowd. “You may remember that there has only been one female governor of the entire state of New Jersey. And she’s actually standing right here.”
That one woman is Christine Todd Whitman, former Republican governor of New Jersey (1994–2001) and former EPA chief under President George W. Bush. Her appearance on the campaign trail, cloaked in a raincoat and cap like much of the crowd, may have seemed like a symbolic nod to bipartisan cooperation — but to many, especially 9/11 first responders and their families, it felt more like the kiss of death.
🏛️ From Morristown to Ground Zero: A Legacy in Question
Whitman was invited to the stage by Sherrill, and the two embraced in what looked like a unifying political moment. But voters with long memories and a deep connection to the aftermath of 9/11 may see this endorsement differently.
As head of the EPA in 2001, Whitman famously declared the air near Ground Zero “safe to breathe” just days after the Twin Towers collapsed. Her now-infamous statement from September 13, 2001:
“We have not seen any reason — any readings that have indicated any health hazard.”
That claim was later debunked by a 2003 EPA Inspector General report, which found that the agency’s statements misled the public and were influenced by political pressure from the White House. The toxic dust and debris from the attacks have since been linked to thousands of deaths and illnesses.
According to the World Trade Center Health Program, over 6,000 deaths have now been recorded among those exposed to 9/11-related toxins — and that number continues to rise.
🤝 A Risky Embrace for Sherrill
Sherrill’s decision to embrace Whitman publicly — literally and figuratively — has sparked unease among observers. While the endorsement might appeal to suburban moderates nostalgic for a pre-Trump GOP, it also reopens old wounds and reminds voters of a painful chapter in New Jersey’s history.
For many, Whitman’s presence on the campaign trail isn’t just awkward — it’s offensive, especially to 9/11 responders still grappling with lifelong illnesses from exposure they were told would be harmless.
Ironically, Sherrill referenced Morristown’s role in rejecting monarchy during her remarks — yet invited to the stage the very official whose false reassurances may have led to more deaths than the attacks themselves.
In another poke in the eye to her union supporters , Sherrill should also remember that the Whitman administration reduced state and local government contributions to the pension system by $3.5 billion over four years. This was done to help balance the budget, which faced a shortfall due to over spending .
Increased Unfunded Liabilities: Within three years of these changes, the pension system’s unfunded liabilities dramatically increased from $800 million to $4.2 billion.
1997 Pension Bonds: To address the growing pension liability, the Whitman administration approved the issuance of $2.8 billion in bonds to refinance the pension funds’ debt. This allowed the state to use investment gains to reduce its scheduled pension payments and realize immediate budget savings.
🎭 Political Theater in the Rain
Asked what inspired her to join Sherrill at the rally, Whitman pointed to a military parade in Washington, D.C., calling it “outrageous.” The irony? For a former Republican appointee whose agency downplayed public health risks in the name of political image, calling out political theater feels like a stretch.
Whitman’s centrist, anti-MAGA image has made her a regular guest on cable news — but among many New Jersey residents, especially those affected by 9/11, her reputation remains deeply damaged.
💬 Final Thought: Beware the Blessing
If Mikie Sherrill truly wants to lead New Jersey into a brighter, bolder future, aligning with a legacy marred by environmental failure and broken public trust might not be the wisest move.
Endorsements can lift a campaign — or sink it. And in this case, the hug may have said more than the speech ever could.
Follow the Ridgewood blog has a brand-new new X account, we tweet good sh$t
https://twitter.com/TRBNJNews
https://truthsocial.com/@theridgewoodblog
https://mewe.com/jamesfoytlin.74/posts
#news #follow #media #trending #viral #newsupdate #currentaffairs #BergenCountyNews #NJBreakingNews #NJHeadlines #NJTopStories
“As head of the EPA in 2001, Whitman famously declared the air near Ground Zero “safe to breathe” just days after the Twin Towers collapsed. Her now-infamous statement from September 13, 2001:
“We have not seen any reason — any readings that have indicated any health hazard.” That claim was later debunked by a 2003 EPA Inspector General report, which found that the agency’s statements misled the public and were influenced by political pressure from the White House. The toxic dust and debris from the attacks have since been linked to thousands of deaths and illnesses. ”
The very same thing will be happening all over the country soon enough with artificial turf that everyone thinks is safe.
2 of three stooges! There’s many to choose from for #3!
Not just that, she was borrowing a tremendous amount of money, and taking money from the pension system to pay for road repairs. What do you think all that money came from. Dirty politics and it took years to pay it back people boss Murphy’s balls, really the state is in pretty good shape comparing it too when she had it. And what about the other crook, Corzine ,
Its jack in a landslide
Buried, you mean.
Look what’s going on in Roselle Park, The town is trying to lay off the whole Dpw gave them rice notices because they all stuck together regarding the EPA, and DEP contamination throughout the whole Dpw yard. This is how stupid the town is. They’re trying to look the other way. Everyone knows this contamination throughout the whole yard. People have been complaining about not feeling well, getting sick, can’t breathe, not just one person, but the whole crew, just like the contamination that the Village Of Ridgewood is dealing with, they trying to play stupid. We didn’t know that there was contaminated yeah OK look where it came from. Anyone that took basic science in elementary school would know that.
Just Sue Ridgewood water..or were they exempt from any litigation when they were caught hiding village expenses in other towns water bills
or hiding the dumping of Ridgewood water spoil piles on the Schedler property. You learn a lot at VC meeting. Just watch YouTube. Now it will cost taxpayers millions to clean this up and Valley may not come through with any tax dollars, then what. This isn’t a Governor problem but still. I guess Vagianos was banking on Gotta getting in and bailing Ridgewood out.
She’s a Rino just like Chris Krispy Kreme
Time to roll out that photo op of her frisking that black man when she was Governor.
Turn Jersey red