<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Governor Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) has called for the resignation of her running mate, Democratic Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, following the release of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. The investigation's findings were made public on Thursday.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In a statement, Sherrill said, “The investigation found that the Lieutenant Governor engaged in serious, repeated violations of state policy and failed to uphold the responsibilities of his office. I’m calling for his resignation and giving him until tomorrow to do so.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.nj.gov/governor/docs/09.23.2026-Investigation-Report-with-Exhibits_Redacted.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">According to</a> the investigation report, Caldwell was found to have committed several ethics violations, including making crude comments to a female staff member, seeking a promotion for an employee with whom he had a romantic relationship, and bringing unauthorized guests to ticketed events.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sherrill stated, “These violations substantiated in the investigation reflect a pattern of behavior that does not meet the standards of this Administration. The ethical lapses persisted despite multiple warnings and trainings. The substantiated finding of sexual harassment is extremely troubling. I’ve seen firsthand how a hostile culture can undermine everyone’s ability to succeed. It’s insidious and ruptures the trust within an organization.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The report details that Caldwell “made a romantic advance” toward a female staffer’s friend and, when rejected, made a derogatory comment to the staffer, stating, “You young women are looking for young sperm.” Investigators concluded that Caldwell’s behavior constituted sexual harassment and was derogatory or demeaning in reference to the staffer’s sex.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Caldwell denied making the comment, but investigators found his denial to be not credible.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The report also indicated that Caldwell admitted to not disclosing the romantic nature of his relationship with the state employee when making promotion requests.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The investigation was conducted by the law firm Lowenstein Sandler, led by former state Attorney General Christopher Porrino.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In a May letter to the State Ethics Commission, Caldwell described the ethics violation accusations against him as “inaccurate, misleading, and completely false.” He expressed confidence that a fair review would clear his name.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Caldwell has not publicly commented on the investigation or Sherrill’s call for his resignation.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In addition to his role as lieutenant governor, Caldwell is a pastor at the Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sherrill selected Caldwell as her running mate in July 2025 and appointed him as her administration’s secretary of state in December 2025 after they won their November election by a double-digit margin. Prior to his election, Caldwell was the president of Centenary University.</p>