Shirley Emehelu who was born in Nigeria and came to the U.S. at age 3. She will be the first immigrant to serve as New Jersey’s second-highest officeholder.

Emehelu fills a vacancy created when Dale Caldwell resigned as lieutenant governor Sept. 25 after an independent investigation found he engaged in sexual harassment and ethics violations.

Caldwell also stepped down as secretary of state.

At the time, Sherrill named Emehelu acting secretary of state while conducting a search for a new lieutenant governor.

“I said I wanted a partner in government who would represent my administration and the people of New Jersey with honor and integrity,” Sherrill said.

“I found that partner in Shirley, a leader with an exceptional track record of doing right by people.”

Sherrill said Emehelu will also help advance the agenda for Black New Jerseyans “making it easier to start a business and buy a home, while closing disparities in education and health care.”

Sherrill noted that for the first time in New Jersey history, the state will be led by two women, which drew cheers from members of her administration attending the announcement.

Emehelu said she looks forward to working with Sherrill to make life more affordable for Garden State residents and to expand opportunities for all communities.

“Good government is about prioritizing the people we serve,” she said.

“It’s about honesty, integrity and transparency. It’s about doing everything you can to help the public good.”

Emehelu said as a Black woman and a Nigerian American, she is proud of what her appointment means to the Garden State.

“Through our work I hope we can inspire the next generation to find their own ways to serve, and make a little history of their own,” Emehelu said.

Sherrill said she first met Emehelu when their children were in elementary school, and that they worked together as federal prosecutors in 2010 in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

Emehelu spent nine years as an assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting fraud and corruption cases.

In 2022, she became New Jersey’s executive assistant attorney general.

When Sherrill was elected governor, she named Emehelu as acting comptroller, the state’s top financial watchdog position.

With Caldwell’s resignation about six weeks before the midterm elections, Emehelu, as the acting secretary of state, oversaw the division of elections.

It was a time when the Trump administration was attempting to seize the state’s voter rolls, Sherrill said.

“Shirley ran toward the fight, she built partnerships with local election officials and law enforcement,” Sherrill said.

“And she prepared us for any threats that might prevent voters from making their voices heard.”

“As lieutenant governor, Shirley will be my partner in driving down costs, taking care of our kids, and building a government that delivers for all 9.5 million New Jerseyans,” she added.

As for Caldwell, he has seen a further setback since his resignation.

Caldwell has been suspended as pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, while the church reviews the findings of the investigation that led to his resignation and a separate complaint about his behavior.

Caldwell is also accused of breaking state ethics rules by attempting to secure a promotion for a state employee he was dating.