Mikie Sherrill signals push for assault weapons ban if elected NJ governor to confiscate “Weapons of War”
MORRISTOWN, NJ — U.S. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill has made clear that if she runs for and wins the New Jersey governor’s seat, a statewide ban on semi-automatic rifles — including AR-15-style weapons — could be at the top of her legislative agenda.
“I will not rest until we fully ban assault weapons, require universal background checks for gun purchases, make secure storage accessible for all law-abiding gun owners, reform the Supreme Court, and realize a future where children and communities can live free from the deadly epidemic of gun violence.”
Sherrill, a Navy veteran and former federal prosecutor, made the comments in response to a federal court decision that struck down New Jersey’s long-standing ban on AR-15 rifles. In a sharply worded statement, she criticized recent Supreme Court rulings and reaffirmed her commitment to reinstating and expanding gun restrictions in the state.
“The assault weapons ban is an obvious place to start because it’s a solution that has already worked. Between 1994 and 2004, the U.S. banned the purchase of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” Sherrill said.
The congresswoman previously voiced explicit support for a federal ban on assault weapons and joined constituents at the Morristown March for Our Lives rally, where she pledged to work toward “responsible solutions” to reduce gun violence.
Sherrill co-sponsored the 2022 assault weapon ban in Congress. That ban passed in Congress, but was rejected by the U.S. Senate.
“I was trained with weapons of war and know that AR-15s don’t belong on the streets of New Jersey,” Sherrill said in her official statement. “This decision will make families and children less safe.”
The New Jersey AR-15 ban, in place since 1990, was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The court’s decision cited recent Supreme Court rulings that redefined the legal framework for evaluating gun laws.