TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today renominated current Secretary of State Tahesha Way to continue in her role for his second term. Per the New Jersey Constitution, the Secretary of State must be formally nominated each gubernatorial term. The Secretary’s renomination will now go to the Senate for confirmation.

“Tahesha has done an exemplary job as our Secretary of State since 2018, and I am proud to renominate her to continue serving the people of New Jersey,” said Governor Murphy. “Under Tahesha’s leadership the Secretary of State’s Office oversaw the unprecedented primarily vote-by-mail 2020 election, updated election infrastructure to improve election security, worked to achieve a complete count for New Jersey in the 2020 Census, supported the tourism and leisure industries throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and played a pivotal role in New Jersey’s filmmaking renaissance. I am confident that Tahesha and her team will continue working diligently during our second term to realize the multi-faceted mission of the Department of State.”

"I'm honored that Governor Murphy has entrusted me to continue to serve as New Jersey’s Secretary of State,” said Secretary Way. “It is a privilege leading the Department of State, as our work impacts how New Jersey residents live, work, and vote." 

Secretary Way was initially nominated for appointment by Governor Murphy on December 18, 2017 and was sworn in on February 26, 2018. She currently serves as the Chair of the National Association of Secretaries of State.

Throughout her career, Secretary Way has devoted herself to public service. Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Secretary Way was an Administrative Law Judge for the State of New Jersey. In 2006, Secretary Way was elected to the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders and served as the Freeholder Director in 2009. She served as special counsel for the Passaic County Board of Social Services overseeing all agency litigation. She also served as a council member for the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. Secretary Way also previously served on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a leading national think tank geared towards advancing dialogue and policy for improving women’s lives and their families.

Secretary Way is a graduate of Brown University, where she served as Vice President of the collegiate chapter of the NAACP, President of her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, taught religious education, and was a radio announcer for WBRU-FM. Ms. Way holds a juris doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law at Charlottesville, where she clerked for the Virginia Legal Aid Society and the United Steelworkers of America.

Secretary Way lives in Passaic County with her husband, former New York Giant and NFL executive Charles Way, and their four daughters. Secretary Way has been a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Garden State Bar Association, National Association of Women Judges, Association of Black Women Lawyers, Passaic County Bar Association, and the New Jersey Women’s Lawyers Association.