Tahesha Way makes formal entrance into NJ-11 race with major endorsements in hand

Lieutenant Gov. Tahesha Way is running for Congress, making the argument that her eight years as New Jersey’s chief elections officer have uniquely prepared her to fight for the state in Washington – and her entrance into the race is accompanied by endorsements from several major national groups.

Way’s interest in New Jersey’s 11th congressional district has been known for weeks, and she was one of 13 Democrats who filed to run yesterday for the district, which will host a special election next year to replace Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill. This morning, she’s making her campaign official.

“I’ve spent my entire life fighting for and protecting our right to vote, tackling New Jersey’s affordability crisis, and ensuring access to health care,” Way said. “I’m the one with the proven results, and I can get it done, day one.”

Among Way’s first-day supporters is the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, which backs – and sometimes financially supports – Black Democrats running for Congress around the country. (One other Black Democrat, attorney and comedian J-L Cauvin, is running for the district, but he’s a first-time candidate with far fewer political connections.)

Also on Team Way out of the gate are the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association and the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, organizations dedicated both to electing more Democratic lieutenant governors and secretaries of state like Way (some states elect those offices separately, though New Jersey does not) and to helping them win other offices.

“She knows firsthand what working families are up against, and she has dedicated her career to expanding opportunity and delivering results,” DLGA chair Kyle Evans Gay, the lieutenant governor of neighboring Delaware, said of Way. “That’s why the DLGA is proud to endorse her for Congress – we know she will bring her strength, experience, and compassion to Washington at a moment when the stakes could not be higher.”

Way was raised in the Bronx, the daughter of an MTA bus driver and a rail clerk. At age 19, she suffered a cerebral brain hemorrhage, nearly dying; her parents’ insurance did not cover occupational therapy, forcing her to re-teach herself how to read, which she said instilled in her a drive to make health care more affordable and accessible.

After stints as a TV producer, college professor, and administrative law judge, Way made her first foray into elected office in 2006, winning a seat on the Passaic County Board of Freeholders. The red wave of 2009, however, knocked her back out of office, temporarily putting an end to her political career.

The election of Gov. Phil Murphy in 2017 revived it. Murphy picked Way as his secretary of state, a job that made her New Jersey’s chief elections officer during the Covid pandemic, the state’s transition to mail-in voting, and the debut of in-person early voting. In 2023, when Lieutenant Gov. Sheila Oliver died, Murphy chose Way to replace her as his #2. (Since lieutenant governors in New Jersey must also hold a cabinet position, Way remains Secretary of State as well, though she has recused herself from matters involving the 11th district special election.) 

In an era when many Democrats fear Donald Trump’s rhetoric and actions when it comes to voting rights and democracy, Way said that her profile as someone who has overseen dozens of state elections – and who has faced lawsuits from the Trump administration along the way – is uniquely compelling.

“I’ve stood strong and I have pushed back on any attempts by the administration to destroy our democracy. Even now, I’m in the ring when the administration is trying to seize voter roll data,” Way said. “I’ve been the one who has modernized our election spaces. I’ve been the one who has opened up voting access, so that every New Jerseyan can cast his or her ballot freely.”

Throughout her tenure, Way has been seen as an effective and largely apolitical official, which was one of the main reasons Murphy elevated her to the lieutenant governorship in 2023. When Sherrill won the Democratic primary for governor back in June, there was plenty of speculation about who would vie to succeed her in the House, but Way was not at the top of many lists, simply because it seemed unlikely she would be interested in running.

Murphy himself, in fact, is supporting a different candidate in the race, with his endorsement of Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill (D-Montclair) in the works before Way started moving towards a campaign. Way said that she retains a good relationship with the outgoing governor, and that the two have spoken about her congressional bid.

“The governor and I have a strong working relationship,” she said. “He’s been encouraging in our conversations about my candidacy. I didn’t begin having conversations about it until some others had launched their [campaigns].”

Way, who despite being a statewide official has not been on any voter’s ballot since 2009, may also face some geographic challenges to winning the 11th district seat. Her native Passaic County makes up only around one-tenth of the district’s voters, and her actual home in Wayne is located just outside the boundaries of the district. (She and her husband, ex-NFL player Charles Way, have lived in Wayne for decades and raised their four daughters there.)

But her dual roles as lieutenant governor and secretary of state make her immediately stand out in a crowded field, one where only a small fraction of the vote may be enough to win. Among the 12 other Democrats who filed to run in the February 5 primary election are a former congressman, several county and local elected officials, and alums of state and national political campaigns.

Way’s trio of day-one endorsements indicates that she starts out with some serious institutional backing, and she said that her conversations with voters around the 11th district have already been positive.

“I’ve spoken with many people, and the enthusiasm for my candidacy is there, because they know the results,” she said. “And they also know that, with all the chaos that is going on in D.C., you need a seasoned leader who understands government.”