| Governor of New Jersey | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) | |
| Style |
|
| Status | |
| Residence | Drumthwacket |
| Seat | Trenton,New Jersey |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once consecutively |
| Constituting instrument | New Jersey Constitution of 1776 |
| Precursor | Governor of New Jersey (Great Britain) |
| Inaugural holder | William Livingston |
| Formation | August 31, 1776 (249 years ago) (1776-08-31) |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Deputy | Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey |
| Salary | $175,000[1] |
| Website | Official website |
Thegovernor of New Jersey is thehead of government of theU.S. state ofNew Jersey. The office ofgovernor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms.[2] The official residence of the governor isDrumthwacket, amansion located inPrinceton, New Jersey. The governor's office is located inside theNew Jersey State House inTrenton, making New Jersey unique in having the executive's office located in the same building as the legislature. New Jersey is also notable as one of the few states in which the governor's official residence is not located in the state capital.
The first and longest-serving governor of New Jersey wasWilliam Livingston, who served from August 31, 1776, to July 25, 1790.A. Harry Moore remains the longest-serving popularly elected governor. The current and 56th governor isPhil Murphy, aDemocrat who assumed office on January 16, 2018.
Governor-electMikie Sherrill will assume office on January 20, 2026.
The governor is directly elected by the voters to become the political and ceremonial head of the state. The governor performs theexecutive functions of the state and is not directly subordinate to the federal authorities. The governor assumes additional roles, such as being thecommander-in-chief of theNew Jersey National Guard forces (when they are not federalized).
Unlike many other states that have elections for somecabinet-level positions, under theNew Jersey Constitution the governor andlieutenant governor are the only officials elected on a statewide basis. Much like thepresident of the United States, the governor appoints the entire cabinet, subject to confirmation by theNew Jersey Senate. More importantly, under the New Jersey constitution, the governor appoints all superior court judges and county prosecutors, although this is done with strong consideration of the preferences of the individual state senators who represent the district where vacancies arise. The governor is also responsible for appointing two constitutionally created officers, theNew Jersey attorney general and thesecretary of state of New Jersey, with the approval of the Senate.[3]
As amended in January 2002, state law allows for a maximum salary of $175,000.[4]Phil Murphy has stated his intention to accept the full salary.[5]Jon Corzine accepted atoken salary of $1 per year as governor.[6][7] Previous governorJim McGreevey received an annual salary of $157,000, a 10% reduction of the maximum allowed,[4] whileChris Christie, Murphy's immediate predecessor, accepted the full gubernatorial salary.[4]
The governor has a full-time protective security detail from the Executive Protection Unit of theNew Jersey State Police while in office.[8][9] A former governor is entitled to a one-person security detail from the New Jersey State Police for up to six months after leaving office.[10]
"I, [name of governor], elected governor of the state of New Jersey, do solemnly promise and swear that I will diligently, faithfully and to the best of my knowledge, execute the said office in conformity with the powers delegated to me; and that I will to the utmost of my skill and ability, promote the peace and prosperity and maintain the lawful rights of the said state. So help me God."[11]
On November 8, 2005, voters passed an amendment to theNew Jersey State Constitution that created the position ofLieutenant Governor of New Jersey, effective with the2009 elections. Before this amendment was passed, thePresident of theNew Jersey Senate would simultaneously also serve as governor whenever the office of governor was vacant. This dual position was more powerful than that of an elected governor, as the individual would have a major role in both the legislative and executive branches.
The amendment was prompted by New Jersey State Senate PresidentRichard Codey serving as Governor of New Jersey in January 2002 and again from November 2004 to January 2006 after the resignations of elected GovernorsChristine Todd Whitman andJim McGreevey.
Kim Guadagno, a former prosecutor, was sworn in as New Jersey's first lieutenant governor on January 19, 2010, under GovernorChris Christie. Guadagno was succeeded by former assemblywomanSheila Oliver, who was sworn in on January 16, 2018, under GovernorPhil Murphy. On August 1, 2023, the lieutenant governor position became vacant when Oliver died in office. On September 8, 2023, Governor Murphy selectedTahesha Way, New Jersey's Secretary of State, as the third lieutenant governor of New Jersey, to succeed Oliver and serve out the remainder of Oliver's term.[needs update]
In 2005, the Center on the American Governor was established at theEagleton Institute of Politics atRutgers University to study the governors of New Jersey and, to a lesser degree, the governors of other states.[12] The program features extensive archives of documents and pictures from theByrne,Kean,Florio,Whitman, andCorzine administrations, video interviews with many members of the respective administrations, information on other American governors, and news updates on all fifty current governors.[13]
| Timeline of New Jersey governors |
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| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States Within New Jersey | Succeeded by Mayor ofmunicipality in which event is held |
| Succeeded by | ||
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States Outside New Jersey | Succeeded by |
| Proprietary Province |  | |
|---|---|---|
| East New Jersey | ||
| West New Jersey | ||
| Dominion of New England (1688–89) | ||
| Royal governors |
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| State (since 1776) |
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* UnderN.J.S.A. 52:15-5 (as amended in 2005), an acting governor serving for 180 continuous days or more is conferred the title of Governor. | ||
