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 "excerpt": "Shirley Emehelu is an American lawyer and politician serving as acting Secretary of State of New Jersey, appointed by Governor Mikie Sherrill in September 2026 after Dale Caldwell resigned.",
 "snippet": "Shirley Emehelu is an American lawyer and politician serving as acting Secretary of State of New Jersey, appointed by Governor Mikie Sherrill in September 2026 after Dale Caldwell resigned.",
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 "markdown": "# Shirley Emehelu\n\nShirley Emehelu is an American lawyer and politician serving as acting Secretary of State of New Jersey. She was named to the post by Governor Mikie Sherrill on September 25, 2026, after Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell resigned as lieutenant governor and secretary of state.<sup>[1](https://www.roi-nj.com/2026/09/25/politics/caldwell-resigns-as-lieutenant-governor-emehelu-named-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup> She had been serving as acting State Comptroller of New Jersey and previously was Executive Assistant Attorney General, the third-ranking official in the New Jersey Office of Attorney General.<sup>[2](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Current office | Acting Secretary of State of New Jersey<sup>[1](https://www.roi-nj.com/2026/09/25/politics/caldwell-resigns-as-lieutenant-governor-emehelu-named-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup> |\n| Previous offices | Acting State Comptroller of New Jersey<sup>[3](https://njurbannews.com/2026/09/25/lt-gov-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-report-sherrill-names-new-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup>; Executive Assistant Attorney General, New Jersey Office of Attorney General<sup>[2](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)</sup> |\n| Education | B.A., Yale University; J.D., Yale Law School<sup>[2](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)</sup> |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nEmehelu received her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D. from [Yale Law School](https://www.edgepedia.org/yale-law-school).<sup>[2](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)</sup> After law school, she clerked for the Honorable James R. Spencer in the Eastern District of Virginia.<sup>[2](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)</sup>\n\n## Career\n\nEmehelu spent nine years at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, where she served as Chief of Asset Recovery and Anti-Money Laundering, overseeing statewide programs including federal asset forfeiture, money laundering, and victim restitution. During her tenure there she prosecuted numerous complex financial fraud cases.<sup>[2](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)</sup>\n\nShe later practiced at the firm Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi, where she was a member of the firm's White Collar Criminal Defense and Government Investigations Group and co-led its Banking and Finance Group.<sup>[2](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)</sup>\n\nEmehelu then joined the New Jersey Office of Attorney General as Executive Assistant Attorney General, the third-ranking official in the office.<sup>[2](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)</sup> She subsequently served as acting State Comptroller of New Jersey.<sup>[3](https://njurbannews.com/2026/09/25/lt-gov-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-report-sherrill-names-new-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup>\n\nOn September 25, 2026, Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell resigned, a day after Governor Mikie Sherrill demanded his departure following an investigation that substantiated sexual harassment and violations of state ethics rules. Sherrill accepted the resignation that Friday afternoon and named Emehelu, then acting state comptroller, as acting secretary of state. Caldwell had held both the lieutenant governor and secretary of state positions.<sup>[1](https://www.roi-nj.com/2026/09/25/politics/caldwell-resigns-as-lieutenant-governor-emehelu-named-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup> Sherrill described Emehelu as a veteran of the U.S. Department of Justice and the New Jersey Attorney General's Office, and said she had full faith that Emehelu and the Department of State team would make sure all eligible New Jerseyans could make their voices heard in the November election.<sup>[1](https://www.roi-nj.com/2026/09/25/politics/caldwell-resigns-as-lieutenant-governor-emehelu-named-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup> Under New Jersey law, Sherrill has 45 days to appoint a new lieutenant governor, and she said she would not name an acting person to that post.<sup>[3](https://njurbannews.com/2026/09/25/lt-gov-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-report-sherrill-names-new-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup>\n\n## Issues specific to Emehelu\n\nEmehelu took office as acting secretary of state 39 days before New Jersey's midterm elections, with the secretary of state serving as the state's top elections official.<sup>[3](https://njurbannews.com/2026/09/25/lt-gov-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-report-sherrill-names-new-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup> At the press conference announcing her appointment, she pledged that the November election would proceed smoothly and would not be affected by Caldwell's resignation. She said, \"I want all New Jerseyans to have confidence in the elections and the officials tasked with administering them.\" She added, \"For months, the Department of State team has been hard at work preparing for the upcoming elections, in partnership with local and county election officials. I will make sure their work proceeds as planned.\"<sup>[3](https://njurbannews.com/2026/09/25/lt-gov-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-report-sherrill-names-new-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup>\n\nThe circumstances of her appointment drew public attention. An investigative report released September 24, 2026, substantiated three violations by Caldwell involving a sexual remark to a female staff member, unpaid admission for personal guests at ticketed events, and efforts to secure a promotion for a state employee Caldwell was dating.<sup>[1](https://www.roi-nj.com/2026/09/25/politics/caldwell-resigns-as-lieutenant-governor-emehelu-named-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup> Caldwell's lawyer, Thomas Calcagni, said in a written statement that the resignation was submitted in response to what he described as a targeted campaign to discredit Caldwell's character and that the lawyer's office remained outraged about the investigative process and its findings.<sup>[3](https://njurbannews.com/2026/09/25/lt-gov-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-report-sherrill-names-new-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup> Sherrill said she would move swiftly and thoughtfully in choosing a new lieutenant governor and emphasized the need for continuity and public confidence in election oversight.<sup>[1](https://www.roi-nj.com/2026/09/25/politics/caldwell-resigns-as-lieutenant-governor-emehelu-named-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup>\n\n## Positions and voting record\n\n### Election administration\n\nOn her appointment, Emehelu pledged continuity in the administration of New Jersey's elections. She said the Department of State team had been preparing for the upcoming elections for months in partnership with local and county election officials, and that she would make sure their work proceeded as planned.<sup>[3](https://njurbannews.com/2026/09/25/lt-gov-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-report-sherrill-names-new-acting-secretary-of-state/)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Caldwell resigns as lieutenant governor; Emehelu named acting secretary of state](https://www.roi-nj.com/2026/09/25/politics/caldwell-resigns-as-lieutenant-governor-emehelu-named-acting-secretary-of-state/)\n2. [Shirley Emehelu - New Jersey Office of Attorney General](https://www.njoag.gov/about/leadership/shirley-emehelu-bio/)\n3. [Lt. Gov. resigns after sexual harassment report; Sherrill names new acting secretary of state](https://njurbannews.com/2026/09/25/lt-gov-resigns-after-sexual-harassment-report-sherrill-names-new-acting-secretary-of-state/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Politicians and government officeholders (biographies) › US governors and state officials › State executive officeholders › Secretaries of state*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "credit": "\"Shirley Emehelu\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/shirley-emehelu. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[Shirley Emehelu](https://www.edgepedia.org/shirley-emehelu)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/shirley-emehelu](https://www.edgepedia.org/shirley-emehelu). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
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 "speakable": "Shirley Emehelu is an American lawyer and politician serving as acting Secretary of State of New Jersey, appointed by Governor Mikie Sherrill in September 2026 after Dale Caldwell resigned."
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