Now, the Democratic congresswoman Mikie Sherrill has launched her campaign for the governor.

The election cycle is in full swing.

Former state senator and Governor Dick Cody today officially endorsed Sherrill.

The state firefighters union did, too.

She's also expected to get the backing of key party leaders in Essex, Middlesex, Passaic and Morris counties.

And while she enters as one of the leading candidates, Sherrill is also the sixth major Democrat to join the race, alongside four major Republicans.

A crowded field where, at least according to a recent Rutgers Eagleton poll, few New Jerseyans know who they are or have an opinion of them.

Senior political correspondent David Kruse reports on who's running and how they plan to spend the next seven months helping voters get to know them.

On the opening day of the 109th edition of the League of Municipalities conference.

Executive Director Mike Cerra is a man on the run, ducking into a side room of the exhibit hall to talk about this year's edition, which he says will see over 16,000 participants.

City council members, county commissioners, clerks, zoning officers.

And this year, most, if not all of the ten major candidates for governor who through the course of the week, I imagine most of them are going to be here laying groundwork, campaigning, meeting, movers and shakers.

What?

I guess meeting, you know, meeting local leaders at the UN on site here.

I think, some of the candidates are kind of new, you know, and they have to introduce themselves such, to a statewide audience.

And this is probably part of it, you know, the beginning of a of an ongoing, larger process.

But but it's it's really tough.

I imagine they're trying to lay the groundwork for what?

For for the next six months and then and for two candidates for, for the next year.

With so many candidates, six Democrats and four Republicans, along with a few others who contend conference attendees are bound to run into someone running for governor.

Some, like Republican Jon Bramnick, come here every year and work the conference like, well, politician, party hopping, hosting and panel participating.

Well, there's a lot of different events.

So tonight I have an event which is a party at the Borgata.

Then I have a couple meetings.

Then there's a mayor who has an event at the hard Rock.

And this afternoon I'm actually doing a panel for people who are attending the convention and on laughter and leadership, other candidates like Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who will be at a press conference and an afternoon event with leaders of the LGBTQ community today, take a more hit and run approach.

It is a good opportunity to network with some of the key decision makers on certain policies.

So try to get down here early, to a couple events like the press conference I'm doing today, and then turn around and head home.

So, it's a light day for me.

No drinking, just kind of work and organizing.

Montclair Mayor and teachers union president Sean Spiller will have to work on name recognition.

His campaign is well funded, but candidates cannot live on TV ads and mailers alone.

So is it a little bit like, allow me to reintroduce myself?

My name?

Thanks.

Appreciate the efforts that, Listen, I mean, it certainly is a little bit different, right?

Obviously, I, you know, I think everybody, as we engage in the conversations, knows what's on the line here.

Now, I think it's different because of of also the context of the national election and what just happened.

I think it's different because the, the lines and the situation that's going on there.

Did we mention it's a crowded field?

Other Democrats running include Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, former Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Congressmembers Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer.

On the Republican side, former state Senator Ed Durr joins former Assemblyman Jack Torelli and radio host Bill Spanier as candidates.

Veteran columnist Charles Styles says for some candidates, you miss this opportunity at your own peril.

I think for a candidate who comes from a regional base who, doesn't have contact, say, in Central and South Jersey or vice versa, I think you miss that opportunity for that kind of face time.

And to show these people, a side of yourselves that you normally that, you would only see in some sort of political coverage or on blogs, it's it's a chance to make more than just an elevator pitch.

The people with checkbooks.

This year's conference will also feature a conversation with six of those ten candidates for governor.

A taping for NJ PBS is Chatbox on Thursday in the morning, so the candidates will need to be sharp.

A good reason, perhaps, to keep the traditional political partying to a minimum.

I'm David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.