(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration is already facing a major scandal after the lieutenant governor she elevated to the state’s second-highest office resigned amid disturbing allegations of misconduct and inappropriate behavior toward women.
Lieutenant Gov. Dale Caldwell resigned Friday, a day after Sherrill called for his ouster following the conclusion of an independent review into his conduct.
Caldwell also had served as secretary of state since Jan. 20, and previously served as president of Centenary University.
Sherrill tapped Caldwell as her running mate in the 2025 election, repeatedly touting him as a man of faith and a dedicated public servant. She also deployed him as a prominent voice to counter her Republican opponents and to court black voters.
I’m thrilled to welcome @DaleCaldwell as our Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor of New Jersey!
Dr. Caldwell has spent his life in service — to his faith, to his students, and to the communities he’s helped strengthen with decades of leadership.
Dale and I are ready to fight… pic.twitter.com/wAlEHmx6mx
— Mikie Sherrill (@MikieSherrill) July 25, 2025
On Thursday, an independent review led by Christopher Porrino, a former New Jersey attorney general and partner at the law firm Lowenstein Sandler, found instances in which Caldwell made sexual advances in the workplace.
First, Caldwell reportedly made a romantic advance toward a female staffer’s friend but was turned down, according to Porrino. After the staffer told Caldwell that the friend was not looking for a relationship, Caldwell replied that “you young women are looking for young sperm.”
Separately, Porrino found that Caldwell brought personal guests to ticketed events free of charge without obtaining approval from ethics officials, despite repeated efforts by the administration to get him to do so.
Caldwell reportedly brought one or more unpaid guests to no fewer than seven events between Feb. 19 and May 23, 2026. The attendees included his daughter, his romantic partner, who was identified as “Individual-1,” and a friend identified as “Individual-2.”
Caldwell also repeatedly used his official position to get his romantic partner, another government official, promoted, claiming that the individual would be a good fit for a leadership role. Caldwell never disclosed that the individual was his romantic partner, according to the report.
Caldwell forwarded the individual’s résumé and letter of interest to another individual. According to investigators, Caldwell referred to the person solely as “my friend.”
In response to the findings, Sherrill publicly demanded Caldwell’s resignation.
“The investigation found that the Lieutenant Governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office,” she said. “I’m calling for his resignation and giving him until tomorrow to do so.”
With Caldwell now out of office, Sherrill has 45 days to pick a replacement. New Jersey Senate President Nicholas Scutari would serve as acting governor when Sherrill is out of the state.
