lieutenant governor Tahesha Way, will now sit at the right hand of Governor Phil Murphy the former New Jersey Secretary of State sworn into the office of lieutenant governor today filling the vacancy that was left last month with the passing of Sheila Oliver who was only the second person and second woman in the state to hold the position Tahesha Way is now the third and before this was one of the longest serving cabinet members of the Murphy Administration and held a Freeholder position in Paseo County before that but critics can't help but wonder about the timing of this announcement that comes on the heels of a scathing report released by the Department of Justice after an investigation into two of New Jersey's state-run veterans homes senior political correspondent David Cruz has more on the politics of this announcement and how other leaders in New Jersey feel about Murphy's choice for lieutenant governor me again considering she was at the top of the governor's short list for succeeding the late Sheila Oliver tahishaway's appointment as the new lieutenant governor could have been announced at any time that it comes on the same week of a damning report on the state's handling of long-term care facilities during covid you'll have to chalk that up to Good News timing still way a Brown University grad former Passaic County Freeholder and administrative law judge is no lightweight having served as Murphy's Secretary of State during her time as secretary of state tahisha has set a new and high standard for defending democracy both in New Jersey but I might add also Across the Nation she's also thrived in that position under the most challenging circumstances you could possibly imagine in the face of a once in a century pandemic along with a Relentless assault on our Democrat accuracy tahisha went above and beyond to secure our election system here in New Jersey she's also a black woman from North Jersey who has no outward electoral Ambitions to must-haves from the governor's party which on the eve of critical legislative elections is Keen to shore up the base don't forget almost 90 percent of black voters pulled the lever for Murphy twice it's really the perfect pick because not only does she make so many black folks proud and so from from the historical uh piece of this but she went without a doubt represents everybody and that's really what it's about um that that people who've been historically marginalized uh can can see themselves uh very much well represented and then at the same time someone who has a a steady hand and a love for everyone regardless of of race it was important that it'd be a black woman yeah because of the role uh that we play in government and for Change and being a conscious really at a leadership table uh where sometimes the needs of not only the African diaspora but black and brown communities and marginalized vulnerable populations are not at the Forefront we have made historic progress but our work is far from over that is why I am so excited to assume the role of lieutenant governor and continue in my role as Secretary of State I know our greatest accomplishments are yet to come way is expected to get her first shot at running things next month when the governor travels out of the country this week though she served another role that of positive counterprogramming in a week where the news around here was otherwise not that great I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news