New Jersey governor to select new lieutenant in wake of sudden death of Sheila Oliver
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- As condolences continue to pour in following the sudden death of New Jersey's Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, Governor Phil Murphy is cutting his vacation to Italy short and returning to the Garden State Thursday afternoon.
Lieutenant Governor Oliver, who holds the distinction of being New Jersey's first Black lieutenant governor, was serving as acting governor until she was hospitalized Monday. Her death was announced Tuesday.
Prof. Ben Dworkin, the director of Rowan University's Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship, said the governor has 45 days to appoint a new lieutenant governor to fill out Oliver's term.
"There are already names being bandied about and talked about," Prof. Dworkin said. "I think it's widely expected that he'll pick another woman, that he'll pick another woman of color."
Crystal Charley, the second vice president of the NAACP New Jersey State Conference, said she's hopeful Gov. Murphy will pick a Black woman to succeed Oliver.
"When we start looking at how [Gov. Murphy] proceeds with selecting someone who will finish out her term, he's looking at someone with the same background, who looks just like Sheila," Charley said. "Same credentials; someone who's going to take New Jersey forward."
Professor Dworkin said there's a unique quirk to being New Jersey's lieutenant governor.
"It has a salary of exactly zero dollars," Prof. Dworkin said. "The person does not get a salary, and so to get anybody to do it, you have to give them an additional position."
Lt. Gov. Oliver also served as commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, which oversees all 564 municipalities in the state, a position Governor Murphy will also have to fill.
No matter who's selected, they'll be following in the footsteps of a trailblazing icon.
"You instantly felt the void as soon as the word rang out [of Oliver's death]. This was her life's work, and not many of us can say we can have that same type of commitment to anything, let alone, a commitment that betters so many other lives," Charley said. "When you start to look at what does that legacy mean for the rest of us going forward in her passing, we want to make sure that we're maintaining the same type of level of advocacy and urgency for the people."
Funeral arrangements for Lieutenant Governor Oliver haven't yet been announced.
Senate President Nick Scutari will continue to serve as acting governor until Governor Murphy returns to New Jersey.