Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill has begun laying out the top level of her incoming administration, announcing Monday that Lt. Gov.-elect Dale Caldwell will also serve as New Jersey’s secretary of state.
It’s Sherrill’s first pick for her Cabinet as she prepares to become the Garden State’s 57th governor next month.
The move comes nearly a month after Sherrill, a Democrat and former congresswoman, defeated Republican Jack Ciatarelli by about 14 percentage points to become the successor to term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Caldwell, the president of Centenary College, was Sherrill’s running mate and will also take office on Jan. 20.
In his new post, Caldwell, 65, will run the state’s Department of State, which oversees elections, art, business, history, and tourism in New Jersey.
“Dale has spent his entire career bringing people together and delivering results for his community,” Sherrill said. “His experience, integrity, and deep commitment to empowering every New Jerseyan make him the ideal leader to steward our democratic institutions and promote the cultural and civic vitality of our state.”
Lieutenant governors in New Jersey not only fill in when the governor is out of state or incapacitated but run one of the state government’s departments. Outgoing Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way is the current secretary of state under Murphy.
Sherrill announced Caldwell’s new role at a restaurant in New Brunswick, where he lives and spent a quarter-century as a member of the city’s school board. Caldwell is also a former deputy commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs and a Methodist pastor in Plainfield. He is chairman of Sherrill’s transition team, as well.
Caldwell will be the state’s fourth lieutenant governor and the first man to hold the post. All but one served as secretary of state. The late Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver ran the DCA.
“The Department of State plays a critical role in strengthening our democracy, supporting our creative economy, and ensuring New Jersey remains a vibrant place to live, work, and visit,” Caldwell said. “I look forward to working with partners across the state to expand civic engagement, support our small business community, bolster our cultural institutions, and uphold the integrity of our elections.”
Sherrill, who stepped down from the U.S. House of Representatives after her win, is expected to gradually roll out more Cabinet members in the six weeks before she’s sworn in.
Last month, she named more than 400 members to a transition committee to help shape her administration.
