Governor of New Jersey
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Current officer
The 55th and current governor is Chris Christie, a Republican elected in 2009.
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article V, the Executive.
Under Article V, Section I:
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The executive power shall be vested in a Governor. |
Qualifications
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Candidates for governor must be:
- at least 30 years old
- a U.S. citizen for at least 20 years
- a resident of New Jersey for at least seven years
No governor shall hold office in any other state or under the federal government, nor shall a sitting governor be elected to any legislative seat. Governors who accept any state or federal position or profit are considered to have vacated their seat.
Elections
New Jersey belongs to the handful of states that hold off-year elections, that is, elections in off-numbered years that are neither Presidential nor midterm years. In New Jersey's case, elections are held in the year after a Presidential and before a midterm; thus, 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2021 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the inauguration is always held the third Tuesday in the January after an election. Thus, January 21, 2014 and January 16, 2018 are inaugural days.
New Jersey was, prior to the creation of the lieutenant governor's office, one of only three states, the others being Hawaii and Tennessee, where the Governor is the only statewide elected office.
Term limits
The governor is limited to serving two-consecutive terms. However, there is no limit on the total number of terms one may serve.[1]
Vacancies
- See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article V, Section I, paragraph 6.
If the governor's office becomes vacant through resignation, removal, or death, then the Lieutenant Governor succeeds to the office.
If a Governor-elect dies, the Lieutenant Governor-elect takes office as the Governor.
After the Lieutenant Governor, the President of the Senate, followed by the Speaker of the General Assembly complete the Constitutionally prescribed line of succession.
The same line order applies if a Governor is absent or temporarily unable to discharge the office, as well as when the Governor-elect fails to qualify. In such cases, the Acting Governor serves until the absence, disqualification, or illness ends. The Acting Governor shall have all the "functions, powers, duties, and emoluments" of the governor's office.
If the governor has been absent or disqualified for six months, the Supreme Court of New Jersey, upon receipt on a concurrent resolution from the General Assembly, shall declare the office to be vacant.
The office shall be filled by an Acting Governor is less than one year remains in the current term; otherwise a special election is called.
Duties
The governor of New Jersey is considered one of the most powerful governorships in the nation as it is currently the only state-wide (non-federal) elected office in the state. Thus, unlike many other states that have elections for some cabinet-level positions, under the New Jersey State Constitution the governor appoints the entire cabinet, subject to confirmation by the New Jersey Senate.
The governor is charged with faithfully upholding and executing the laws of New Jersey, a power that includes enforcing all Constitutional and statutory mandates as well as restraining actions. New Jersey's governor is also the commander-in-chief of the militia.
He nominates all general and flag officers and the state militia and has ultimate authority for seeing that the state's militia is properly trained.
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Granting all commissions given to elected and appointed officers
- Nominating officers to all appointed positions not otherwise provided for and making appointments, with the consent of the Senate
- Convening the entire legislature or the Senate for extraordinary sessions
- Vetoing bills subject to a super-majority override in the legislature
- Granting pardons and reprieves, excluding cases of treason and impeachment
Compensation
The salary of the governor is legally set by the legislature and may not be raised or lowered effective in the current term.
As of 2010, the governor of New Jersey is paid $175,000 a year, the 4th highest gubernatorial salary in America.
Contact information
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
Phone:609-292-6000
See also
- New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
- Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey
- New Jersey Attorney General
- New Jersey Secretary of State
External links
References
Portions of this article were adapted from Wikipedia.
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