New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Friday that his second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, resigned over allegations that he made women on his staff feel uncomfortable and was the subject of a sexual harassment complaint that was substantiated by investigators.
“I have given the lieutenant governor until today to resign,” Sherrill said at a news conference Friday. “He presented his resignation to me this afternoon, which I accepted.”
Caldwell denied the allegations, but investigators did not find his denial credible, according to a 61-page report released Thursday evening. The same night, Caldwell released a provocative statement questioning the validity and completeness of the investigation.
In addition to substantiating the sexual harassment claim, investigators also determined that Caldwell inappropriately accepted free tickets to guest events and attempted to secure a promotion for a state employee he was dating. The investigation concluded that Caldwell committed violations of workplace policy and ethics, but did not state that he acted criminally.
Thomas Calcagni, Caldwell’s attorney, said in a statement following the resignation that he was “exploring all legal avenues to ensure a truthful, balanced and impartial record” of his client’s actions.
“We continue to vigorously dispute the report,” Calcagni said. “Dr. Caldwell’s resignation, submitted to end the targeted campaign to discredit his character, does not diminish our outrage at the investigative process and its specious findings.”
Sherrill said Caldwell’s resignation is a sign that she is serious about changing the culture in state government and ensuring no one feels uncomfortable or unsafe at work.
“There has been a culture in Trenton, probably since the birth of our nation, of sweeping this under the rug. You can talk to many people who have worked in the State House for decades who thought this day would never come, that the allegations would never be taken seriously, that action would never be taken and that the victims should just either quit their jobs or move on,” Sherrill said. “This is not the kind of government I run. When I say a culture change is happening, I mean it.”
Sherrill appointed Shirley Emehelu, the current acting state comptroller, to oversee the November election as acting secretary of state, a role previously held by Caldwell.
Several key Democratic lawmakers as well as members of the state’s Republican minority had called for Caldwell’s resignation Friday morning.
A statement released by 11 black New Jersey politicians announced Caldwell’s resignation, saying his tenure had become a distraction.
“By choosing to step down and end this controversy, he put the interests of the people of New Jersey and the work of our state ahead of himself,” read the statement, released shortly before Sherrill’s announcement.
It was signed by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Assemblymember Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, state Democratic Committee Chair LeRoy Jones and eight other former officials and community leaders.
Under the state constitution, Sherrill has 45 days to appoint Caldwell’s replacement as lieutenant governor from the date of his resignation.
Caldwell leaves his post less than nine months into his term. Sherrill asked the former Centenary University president to join his gubernatorial slate in July of last year. She and Caldwell were sworn in in January of this year after winning a convincing 14-point victory over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in the November 2025 election.
Caldwell proved an asset to the campaign and became a fixture on the trail after being selected. He brought degrees, diversity and, as the son of a reverend who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a strong civil rights legacy.
Caldwell played a key role in helping Sherrill connect with black voters during the election. Sherrill said she shared Caldwell’s commitment to helping the state’s Black communities and pledged to continue that work. The group of black leaders who responded publicly to Caldwell’s resignation stressed the importance of moving forward.
“We have elections to protect, racial inequities identified in our state’s disparities study that demand meaningful action, businesses and families who need greater economic opportunity, and New Jersey communities who are struggling and counting on us to implement an agenda for Black people,” their statement read. “There is simply too much at stake for New Jersey to be distracted from this work. »
Sherrill’s victory gave Democrats their third consecutive term in New Jersey’s highest political office for the first time in more than 60 years. Sherrill also became the second female governor in state history.
One of Caldwell’s primary responsibilities as lieutenant governor was to serve as acting governor of the state when Sherrill was traveling. Caldwell reportedly served 18 days as acting governor while he was under investigation, according to Politico — something Republicans heavily criticized.
Until an acting lieutenant governor is named, state Senate President Nick Scutari would serve as acting governor if Sherrill leaves the state.
The scandal surrounding Caldwell comes as the administration conducts a separate investigation into how thousands of New Jersey noncitizens were mistakenly registered to vote during the previous Murphy administration. Before his resignation, Caldwell also served as secretary of state, an office that oversees the Division of Elections — the agency responsible for maintaining the state’s voter rolls — although the error occurred before he assumed that position.
Emehelu will now take the lead in responding to the voter registration scandal, as well as pressure from the Trump administration to influence how New Jersey conducts the midterm elections.
“She has the judgment to run this election and the strength to resist Trump’s attacks on voting,” Sherrill said of Emehelu. “I am confident that Shirley and the State Department team will ensure that all eligible New Jerseyans can make their voices heard this November.”
Caldwell’s resignation ends speculation that lawmakers have initiated impeachment proceedings for his removal. Scutari said in a statement that the resignation was the right thing to do.
“Resigning is in the best interest of our residents and the integrity of public service,” Scutari said.
Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin echoed that sentiment.
“We must ensure that the work of government is uninterrupted and that serving the people of New Jersey remains a top priority,” Coughlin said in a statement.
Republican state lawmakers welcomed Caldwell’s resignation but said Sherrill’s administration still has work to do to restore public trust. Senate Republican Leader Anthony Bucco called on Sherrill to make public all documents related to the Caldwell investigation.
“When were these allegations first discovered, who in the administration knew about it and when, and how exactly were these allegations handled?” Bucco said in a statement. “This administration has been in chaos from the start and has lacked transparency in its conduct. But now that the lieutenant governor has agreed to resign, there is no reason to hide behind secrecy.”
John DiMaio, the Assembly minority leader, questioned Sherrill’s ability to properly select the next lieutenant governor. He said whoever she chooses for that role would have to appear before legislative committees, even though that role does not require legislative confirmation.
“After Caldwell, the governor cannot expect New Jerseyans to simply take her word that she got the audit right this time,” DiMaio said in a statement.
Sherrill defended his administration’s ability to vet new hires.
“We’ve hired hundreds and hundreds of people to fill our roles, and I think you can see from the work we’ve done in just eight months how incredibly well we’ve done in a lot of our hiring,” Sherrill said. “The vetting process was thorough.”
Caldwell, 66, was the first black president of Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Caldwell, a New Brunswick resident, served on the Middlesex County town’s school board for 26 years. He also served as deputy commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs under former Gov. Jim McGreevey.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
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