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Dr. Dale G. Caldwell is New Jersey’s 4th Lieutenant Governor and 35th Secretary of State, serving with Governor Mikie Sherrill. As Secretary of State, Dr. Caldwell leads the New Jersey Department of State and serves as New Jersey’s chief election officer. In this role, he brings decades of leadership experience across government, education, community development, faith, and business to expand opportunity across the state and build a more affordable Garden State

Service, faith, and justice are deeply rooted in his family legacy. Dr. Caldwell’s mother was an educator, and his father, the Rev. Gilbert Caldwell, was a prominent civil rights leader who marched alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This legacy continues to shape his leadership philosophy and commitment to equity and opportunity.

Prior to his election, Dr. Caldwell served as President of Centenary University, where he led transformative initiatives focused on access, innovation, workforce development, and student success. His career includes senior leadership roles as Executive Director of the Rothman Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Fairleigh Dickinson University; President of the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey (ESCNJ); Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs; Founding Executive Director of the Newark Alliance; and Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting.

Dr. Caldwell has also dedicated his life to serving his church and his community. For many years, he has served as a United Methodist pastor at Covenant United Methodist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey, where he leads a congregation grounded in inclusivity, compassion, and community engagement. His ministry is guided by Proverbs 31:8–9, which calls on leaders to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Dr. Caldwell also dedicated more than a quarter-century to public education and community service, volunteering on the New Brunswick Board of Education for 26 years, including six years as Board President. His lifelong commitment to civic engagement reflects a belief that strong communities are built through partnership, accountability, and service.

An accomplished athlete and advocate for sports equity, Dr. Caldwell is an avid tennis player and coach. He served as President and CEO of the USTA Eastern Section, founded the Black Tennis Hall of Fame, and is a member of the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame.

Dr. Caldwell is a graduate of Princeton University, earned his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and completed his Doctorate in Education Administration at Seton Hall University. He resides in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and is the proud father of his daughter, Ashley, who studies public policy at Rutgers University.