Shirley Emehelu Takes Office as NJ Lieutenant Governor, a First on Two Counts

In late September, New Jersey's second-highest office sat empty after a resignation. On Nov. 9, a former prosecutor stepped into it, and for the first time in state history, women hold both of New Jersey's top two jobs.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill appointed Shirley U. Emehelu as lieutenant governor and secretary of state, and Emehelu took office that Monday, the governor's office said. A video released by the governor's office opens with Emehelu raising her right hand to take the oath before Sherrill explains the choice from the podium.

"From prosecuting financial fraud and rooting out waste and abuse, to defending civil rights and protecting consumers, Shirley has fought for New Jersey families at every step of her career," Sherrill said in the announcement.

Who is Shirley Emehelu?

Emehelu, of Montclair, is New Jersey's fifth lieutenant governor and its first immigrant to hold the office, according to the governor's office.

She came into the administration as acting state comptroller, working on fraud, waste and abuse in government spending, the governor's office said. From 2022 to 2024 she was the state's executive assistant attorney general, the third-ranking official in the Attorney General's Office, coordinating oversight of more than 500 attorneys in the Division of Law.

Before that, she spent nine years at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, prosecuting complex financial fraud and serving as chief of asset recovery and anti-money laundering. She also worked in private practice at CSG Law, clerked for U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer in the Eastern District of Virginia, and holds a bachelor's degree from Yale University and a law degree from Yale Law School.

"I've spent my career upholding the law, protecting families, and rooting out fraud, abuse, and corruption," Emehelu said in the governor's announcement.

Why the seat was open

The vacancy dates to Sept. 25, when Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell resigned. Sherrill had called for his resignation a day earlier, after an independent investigation into his conduct. The governor said the report documented "serious, repeated violations of state policy, including ethical lapses and a substantiated finding of sexual harassment." She accepted his resignation that afternoon.

With the midterm elections 39 days away at the time, Sherrill named Emehelu acting secretary of state the same day to run the state's election office. The governor's office credited her with the smooth administration of the Nov. 3 election.

Not everyone cheered the pick. The Serve for Change Coalition congratulated Emehelu and said it was ready to work with the administration, but added that "New Jersey missed an important opportunity to elevate a qualified Latino leader to one of the highest offices in the state." The coalition pointed to the roughly 2.2 million Latinos who live in New Jersey, about one-quarter of the state's population, and said Latino representation in state government still lags.

Others welcomed the appointment. The governor's announcement included praise from Rep. Rob Menendez, Ryan Haygood of the Southern Poverty Law Center and Amol Sinha of the ACLU of New Jersey.

How the appointment works

Under Article V, Section I, paragraph 9 of the New Jersey Constitution, when the lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant, the governor appoints a successor within 45 days to serve the rest of the term. There is no confirmation vote in the Legislature. Nov. 9 was the 45th day after Caldwell's resignation.

That could change in the future. A proposed constitutional amendment, introduced Oct. 8 by state Sen. Douglas Steinhardt of District 23 (Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren), would require a majority vote of both houses of the Legislature before an appointed lieutenant governor takes office. Any amendment would also have to go before voters.

What's next

Emehelu will serve out the term Sherrill and Caldwell won in 2025, and she keeps running the Department of State, which oversees New Jersey's elections. Under the state constitution, she also steps in as acting governor whenever Sherrill is out of state.

She said she will bring the same approach to "lowering costs, expanding opportunity for every community, and ensuring government delivers for the people we serve."

View the original video from the Office of Gov. Mikie Sherrill

Watch the original video from the Office of Gov. Mikie Sherrill | Read the governor's announcement

Video: Office of Gov. Mikie Sherrill (govsherrillnj). Photo: Office of Gov. Mikie Sherrill, official portrait.

Source: Office of Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Originally reported by Patch.