Statehouse portrait of Guadagno, the first lieutenant governor, unveiled

Former Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno was joined by Gov. Phil Murphy and former Gov. Chris Christie for the unveiling of her official portrait in the Statehouse on Monday. 

Guadagno was the state’s first lieutenant governor. State officials created the role before the state’s 2009 elections to create a consistent solution to the issue of gubernatorial succession — voters approved the amendment to the state Constitution in a referendum. She served as Christie’s lieutenant governor and secretary of state throughout his term, from 2010 to 2018.

The portrait, painted by New Jersey-born artist Liza G. Amir, features Guadagno wearing a blue blazer and glancing to the side.

“The taxpayers paid for this, and it’s been the privilege of a lifetime to have served for them and with them over these eight years,” she said.

Murphy first announced the commission of lieutenant governor portraits in August of 2023, in remembrance of the late Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver, who died that month. The governor said Oliver’s portrait will be unveiled next month. He said Guadagno’s portrait will hang in the lieutenant governor’s office in the Statehouse.

“Kim, you have opened doors, broken down barriers, and made a real difference in the lives of New Jerseyans in every corner of our state,” Murphy said during the Monday morning ceremony.

Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, who also serves as secretary of state, thanked Guadagno for her help in preparing for the dual role of lieutenant governor and secretary of state.

Christie extolled her work, praising her for crafting the nebulous role of lieutenant governor into an effective office. He specifically praised her work in running an election in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, a storm that severely damaged her home.

“I picked the person I liked the most and then trusted her to make the job what it could be, because no one had done it before,” Christie said. “There was not a day in the eight years where she did not try to make the job the most she could make it.”