TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has announced his successor to late Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver. Oliver passed away on August 1st from an unknown illness.
Murphy announced New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way to replace Oliver.
“She is battle-tested and ready to lead New Jersey,” Murphy said. “She’s as wonderful a person as she is a public servant.”
Tahesha L. Way was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, by parents Robert and Rosa Wright. Both were longtime employees of the New York City Transit Authority and instilled in her a commitment to public service. She is a graduate of Brown University, where she served as Vice President of the NAACP’s collegiate chapter and President of the Iota Alpha chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She also taught religious education and was a radio announcer for WBRU-FM. She earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she clerked for the Virginia Legal Aid Society and the United Steelworkers of America.
Before joining the state administration, Way was an Administrative Law Judge in New Jersey. In 2006, she was elected to the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders and became the Freeholder Director in 2009. She also served as Special Counsel for the Passaic County Board of Social Services and as a Council Member for the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council.
Appointed by Governor Phil Murphy, Way assumed office as New Jersey’s 3rd Lieutenant Governor on September 8, 2023. She also holds the position of the 34th Secretary of State in New Jersey, overseeing the state Division of Elections and chairing the Complete Count Commission for the 2020 U.S. Census. Her responsibilities include a broad spectrum of portfolios, from voting rights to arts, culture, and tourism.
Way made history as the first Black person and the first Secretary from New Jersey to serve as President of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS). She continues to serve on its Executive Board as Immediate Past President.
Way is the former President of the Women Empowered Democratic Organization of Passaic County and has served on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. She is a member of several legal associations, including the New Jersey State Bar Association, Garden State Bar Association, National Association of Women Judges, Association of Black Women Lawyers, Passaic County Bar Association, and the New Jersey Women’s Lawyers Association.
Tahesha Way lives in Wayne, New Jersey, with her husband Charles and their four children: Fallon, Farrah, Faythe, and Fiona.
Throughout her career, Way has shown an unwavering commitment to public service, advocating for affordable living, reproductive health care access, legal equality, and elevating New Jersey as a leading state for family life. She continues to serve her community and state, aiming to create a more equitable and just society.
