Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the incoming governor of New Jersey, will resign from Congress on Thursday at 11:59 p.m., allowing Gov. Phil Murphy to schedule a special election to fill the remainder of her term.

“It has been an honor to serve the residents of New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District,” Sherrill said in a resignation letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, which she shared on social media. “I look forward to serving them, and all residents of New Jersey, as Governor over the next four years.”

Sherrill, who also disclosed her plans in a separate letter to Murphy, was elected governor earlier this month, defeating Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 14 points. She won’t take office until Jan. 20, but resigning her House seat earlier will speed up the process of setting up the special election for the 11th District in North Jersey.

Under state law, the primary would take place within 70 to 76 days of Murphy ordering a special election, with a general election to follow 64 to 70 days after that. 

Sherrill’s letter was not unexpected as she’d already disclosed her plan to resign this week in a Nov. 12 floor speech. She stepped down from the House Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party last week. 

A former Navy helicopter pilot, Sherrill flipped her 11th District seat in 2018 during the so-called blue wave, and it was made more favorable to Democrats in redistricting after the 2020 census. 

Several candidates have already announced bids to succeed Sherrill, who won a fourth term last year by 15 points. Democrats will be favored to hold the suburban 11th District, which backed Kamala Harris by 9 points last year. 

Democrats running in the upcoming special election include former Rep. Tom Malinowski, who represented the neighboring 7th District for two terms; Passaic County Commissioner John Bartlett; Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill; former White House aide Cammie Croft; Morris Township Deputy Mayor Jeff Grayzel; former Capitol Hill aide Marc Chaaban; Maplewood Township Committee Person Dean Dafis; and Chatham Borough Council Member Justin Strickland. 

The primary could grow further crowded with the New Jersey Globe reporting that Murphy’s lieutenant governor, Tahesha Way, is also expected to enter the race. Murphy, though, endorsed Gill, his onetime campaign manager, on Monday.

Also on Monday, New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim, endorsed Malinowski in the 11th District primary. Like Sherrill, both men were first elected to the House in 2018. 

Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway is the only Republican to announce a campaign so far.