Dale Caldwell: What we know about New Jersey’s lieutenant governor

A look at Caldwell’s career, public roles and the organizations he led before joining the Sherrill administration

Dale Caldwell, New Jersey’s lieutenant governor and secretary of state, is under investigation by Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration over allegations of inappropriate behavior toward women and possible ethics violations, as reported by the New York Times and other media outlets. The inquiry is also allegedly examining whether Caldwell improperly offered or discussed state jobs.

Former New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino is leading the investigation with Shantae Gray, a former assistant U.S. attorney and one of Porrino’s law partners. The investigators have interviewed complainants, including state employees, as well as potential witnesses, and Caldwell is cooperating with the investigation.

Sherrill’s office has neither confirmed nor denied the internal investigation.

“The governor would take any reports of inappropriate behavior or misconduct extremely seriously and expects our public officials to hold themselves to the highest standards,” Sean Higgins, a spokesperson for Sherrill, told reporters on Friday.

Reporting so far has not identified women involved or disclosed the specific conduct alleged. It is also unclear how many people have complained about his conduct.

Caldwell has not publicly responded to the allegations.

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Sherrill’s running mate

Caldwell was sworn in as New Jersey’s fourth lieutenant governor and 35th secretary of state on Jan. 20, serving in Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s administration. As secretary of state, he leads the Department of State and serves as New Jersey’s chief elections officer.

He became Sherrill’s running mate on July 24, 2025. Sherrill announced on Dec. 1, 2025, that Caldwell would also serve as secretary of state.

Senior pastor, Covenant United Methodist Church

Caldwell is also the senior pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield. He is a third-generation Methodist minister and has continued his work at his church while serving in the Sherrill administration. He launched the state’s Faith Action Center at the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove back in April, and was a guest preacher at a Sunday worship service the auditorium in July.

College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School

Caldwell served as the founding chairman of the College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School board beginning in 2017.

The Office of the State Comptroller began investigating College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School and its management organization, College Achieve Public Schools Inc., in 2024. The Comptroller subpoenaed the charter school in August 2024 and College Achieve Public Schools in November 2024, seeking records related to purchasing, cash handling, conflicts of interest, nepotism, internal investigations and the management company’s control over the school.

Caldwell was president of the College Achieve Greater Asbury Park board during the investigation. The Comptroller interviewed him in February 2025, along with the board treasurer.

The Office of the State Comptroller issued a preliminary investigative report on Jan. 12 that the charter school had violated New Jersey’s public contracting laws and that its management agreement had left the school board with little meaningful authority over the school’s operations. The report said the board had “ceded not just day-to-day management but also the transparency and oversight mechanisms necessary for sound governance.”

The investigation examined more than $57 million in public funds that College Achieve Public Schools received across its network from 2016 through 2023. Under its management agreement with the charter school, the organization was entitled to receive about 14% to 15% of the school’s program revenue each year. The Comptroller also identified more than $16,000 in payments to All Shore, a company owned by the brother-in-law of a school executive. .

The investigation led to a legal fight over the Comptroller’s subpoena power that is still playing out in the courts. In December 2024, College Achieve Public Schools sued to block the subpoenas, arguing that the Comptroller lacked authority to demand the records. A Superior Court judge rejected that challenge on June 9, 2025. The Appellate Division heard arguments on May 28 and on June 25 affirmed that the Comptroller’s office had the authority to demand records as part of its investigatory powers. The court cases are ongoing.

Centenary University

Caldwell became the 15th president of Centenary University on July 1, 2023. He was the university’s first Black president. He left the position when he joined the Sherrill administration in January.

Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rothman Institute

Caldwell served as executive director of the Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fairleigh Dickinson University from 2018 to 2023. He led programs involving veteran entrepreneurship, family businesses and executive coaching.

Educational Services Commission of New Jersey

Caldwel served on the board of the Eductional Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCJN) from 2021 through 2024 and was serving as the president when he left the board in July of that year.

ESCNJ provides education, transportation, administrative services and cooperative purchasing to school districts and government agencies and serves more than 700 school districts and government agencies.

The Office of the State Comptroller condicted an audit of the ESCNJ, which was published on July 24, 2024. The audit found that ESCNJ failed repeatedly to notify the Office of the Comptroller about large contracts and cooperative-purchasing procurements. The organization also failed to comply with public-school contracting laws for some insurance, brokerage and professional-service contracts.

ESCNJ also accumulated an unused general-fund surplus of nearly $70 million by fiscal year 2023. ESCNJ received about $9.5 million in vendor commissions in fiscal year 2021 and $10.8 million in fiscal year 2022.

The amassed the giant surplus wihtout any plan for how to use the money or return excess taxpayer funds to the school districts and municipalities it serves, according to the audit.

In January, the Office of the State Comptroller directed ESCN) not to proceed with proposed public contracts or extend current contracts. The decision follows ESCNJ’s repeated failure to comply with New Jersey’s procurement laws despite more than a year of guidance from the office.

USTA Eastern Section

In 2006, Caldwell became president and CEO of the USTA Eastern Section. He was the first Black person to hold that position. He later served on the USTA national board and chaired its strategic-planning committee.

In 2007, he founded the Black Tennis Hall of Fame and helped develop the “Breaking the Barriers” exhibit on Black tennis history with the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He helped create the New York Open, a professional tournament in Central Park designed to provide opportunities for lower-ranked players. In 2021, he was inducted into the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame.

New Brunswick Board of Education

Caldwell served on the New Brunswick Board of Education for 26 year, serving six years as board president, and resigned from the board in June of in 2024.

Village Charter School

Caldwell became head of school at the Village Charter School in Trenton in 2013. In 2015, he was named New Jersey Charter School Administrator of the Year.

New Jersey Department of Community Affairs

Gov. James McGreevey appointed Caldwell to serve as the assistant commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs in 2002 and promoted him to deputy commissioner in 2003. He remained at DCA until 2006 and also served on the Government Records Council.

Newark Alliance

Caldwell became the founding executive director of the Newark Alliance in 1999. The organization focuses on economic development and education initiatives in the city.

Deloitte Consulting

After receiving his MBA, Caldwell worked at Deloitte Consulting in its public-sector health-care practice. His résumé lists the position from 1988 through 1999.

Education

• 2017: Doctorate in education administration, Seton Hall University.
• 1988: MBA in finance, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
• 1982: Bachelor’s degree in economics, Princeton University.
• 1978: Graduated from the Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut.