New Jersey’s Secretary of State appointed as Lieutenant Governor

Gov. Phil Murphy appointed Secretary of State Tahesha L. Way as New Jersey’s third lieutenant governor, succeeding the late Sheila Oliver, who died last month after an extended illness.

Way, who is New Jersey’s 34th Secretary of State — a position she has held since the beginning of the Murphy administration, said to be selected as Oliver’s successor is one of the greatest honors of her career.

“I considered Lieutenant Governor Oliver a close friend and mentor – someone I looked to for guidance to better serve the people of New Jersey,” Way said. “To have been selected as her successor as New Jersey’s next Lieutenant Governor is one of the greatest honors of my career.”

“I come to this position as the child of two public servants who molded me into the person I am today,” Way said. “Having experience at different levels of government has showed me the important role that those of us in public office can play in improving the lives of families across our state. I look forward to finishing the work of this administration with Governor Murphy and continuing to build on the legacy Lieutenant Governor Oliver fostered.”

The 51-year-old former Passaic County freeholder has also served as an administrative law judge, as special counsel for the Passaic County Board of Social Services, and as a member of the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council.

Way is a graduate of Brown University, where she served as Vice President of the collegiate chapter of the NAACP, President of the Iota Alpha chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. taught religious education, and was a radio announcer for WBRU-FM. She holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law at Charlottesville, where she clerked for the Virginia Legal Aid Society and the United Steelworkers of America.

The newly appointed Lieutenant Governor lives in Wayne with her husband Charles and their four children Fallon, Farrah, Faythe, and Fiona.

She was raised in the Bronx by her late parents, Robert and Rosa Wright, who also devoted their careers to public service as employees of the New York City Transit Authority.