New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy chooses Tahesha Way, state’s elections chief, as next lieutenant governor
Gov. Phil Murphy has chosen Secretary of State Tahesha Way to be New Jersey’s third lieutenant governor following the death of Sheila Oliver last month.
Two officials with knowledge of the pick, who were granted anonymity in advance of a formal announcement, said Way, 51, is Murphy’s choice. She is expected to be sworn in Friday.
One of the sources confirmed that the choice came down to Way and Nina Mitchell Wells, who served as secretary of state under former Gov. Jon Corzine.
Murphy had a 45-day constitutional deadline following Oliver’s death to choose her replacement. The appointment does not require Senate confirmation.
Way is a former Passaic County freeholder and served as an administrative law judge before being sworn in as secretary of state in 2018.
Way's impending appointment was first reported by New Jersey Globe and NJ Advance Media.
Way is one of the longest-serving members of Murphy's administration. He named her secretary of state in 2017, just before taking office. Before that, she was a freeholder director in Passaic County and an administrative law judge.
As secretary of state, Way led the Division of Elections and also chaired New Jersey’s Complete Count Commission to aid in the U.S. Census. Way became the president of the National Association of Secretaries of State in 2022 and is the first Black person and New Jersey official in the position.
Way is a Bronx native and now lives in Wayne with her husband, former New York Giants running back Charles Way. She is a graduate of Brown University and University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville.
As lieutenant governor, Way will be New Jersey's second-in-command — or step in as acting governor when Murphy is out of state. Way is likely to do that soon, as Murphy has a trip to Asia planned for October.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misstated Way's age. She is 51.
