Rep. Mikie Sherrill is the projected winner of the Democratic gubernatorial primary in New Jersey, NBC News projects. Sherrill, who held off challenges in a hotly-contested race from a crowded field,

Democrats chose Rep. Mikie Sherrill as their nominee for governor of New Jersey, as the party attempts to defy odds by holding onto the governorship for a third term in a row. The Associated Press called the race just under an hour after polls closed.

Mikie Sherrill has won the Democratic nomination in New Jersey's high-stakes gubernatorial race. A former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, the congresswoman had the edge coming into the state's June 10 primary.