Democratic New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is demanding her hand-picked lieutenant governor resign after a probe substantiated sexual harassment and ethics violations, a sharp reversal from her 2025 praise.
Sherrill called on Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to step down after an independent investigation found serious, repeated violations of state policy and a substantiated finding of sexual harassment. New Jersey Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim quickly joined the demand.
The New York Post reported Sherrill set a hard deadline, saying she was calling for his resignation and giving him until the next day to do so. The 61-page report concluded his behavior constituted sexual harassment and was derogatory or demeaning.
The same probe that toppled Caldwell also detailed ethics breaches far beyond one crude remark. That left the governor who chose him little room to maneuver once the findings went public.
Daily Caller reported Sherrill’s public judgment of the investigation in plain terms.
"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 added:
"The substantiated finding of sexual harassment is extremely troubling,"
Booker backed her without hesitation.
"Governor Sherrill is absolutely right the conduct described in the investigative report is totally unacceptable,"
Kim went further and demanded immediate action.
"New Jerseyans deserve to have public servants who work to earn and keep their trust, not undermine it,"
"The Lt. Governor should resign immediately."
Caldwell pushed back hard. In a statement to The New York Times, he said the report was “driven by misinformation, false assumptions and what seems to be a personal vendetta against me.” He also claimed that “in this current political environment, false accusations, especially against people of color, seem to be commonplace.”
The investigative report, hosted on the New Jersey governor’s site with a Sept. 23, 2026 filename, accused Caldwell of flirting with a staffer’s much younger female friend at an official event. When the staffer said the friend was not interested, Caldwell allegedly complained, “You young women are looking for young sperm.”
Investigators also found he tried to secure a promotion for a romantic partner, brought uninvited guests to ticketed events without proper reimbursement, and asked his own aides to find him a “first lady.”
Reuters reported the investigation found sexually offensive remarks to female staff and other ethical violations, including an effort to get a state employee with whom he had a romantic relationship a promotion. Caldwell later resigned. His attorney, Thomas Calcagni, said they “continue to forcefully challenge the report” and were exploring legal remedies.
The New York Post account added that Caldwell recommended his secret girlfriend for a senior state promotion by official email shortly after ethics training and notice of the probe.
In 2025, Sherrill tapped Caldwell as her lieutenant governor running mate and sold the pick in glowing language.
"I’m proud to select Dale Caldwell as my Lieutenant Governor running mate because we share a commitment to public service and challenging the status quo,"
She continued:
"Dale is the son of civil rights leaders who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, and he’s followed in his parents’ footsteps and he has always been a voice for the voiceless."
That framing did not survive the report. Once investigators documented the harassment finding and the ethics breaches, Sherrill, Booker, and Kim all moved in the same direction: resignation.
After Caldwell stepped down, Sherrill named Shirley Emehelu, the state’s acting comptroller, as acting secretary of state and said she would choose a permanent lieutenant governor replacement within 45 days.
The sequence is straightforward. Sherrill chose Caldwell. She celebrated his family history and public-service credentials. An independent investigation then substantiated sexual harassment and catalogued repeated policy violations. Only then did the state’s top Democrats demand he leave.
Caldwell still disputes the process and the conclusions. His attorney is challenging the report. The public record now includes the governor’s own words on the findings, the senators’ calls for him to go, the crude remark attributed to him in the probe, the promotion effort, and the unpaid guests at ticketed events.
Voters did not get the “voice for the voiceless” pitch when the investigation landed. They got a resignation deadline, a substantiated harassment finding, and a hurried search for a replacement.
Hand-picked allies are easy to praise on the trail. They are harder to defend when the investigative file is public and the quotes are ugly.
