Monmouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno, who was elected as New Jersey’s first lieutenant governor on Nov. 3, has announced that she intends to fulfill her obligations as sheriff until she takes the oath of office as lieutenant governor in January.
“It has been my privilege to serve as sheriff since Jan. 1, 2008. I fully intend to honor my commitment … until I officially become lieutenant governor,” she said.
As defined by state statute, the governor — in this case Guadagno’s running mate, Chris Christie, who won the governor’s race — will appoint a sheriff to fill the time remaining on Guadagno’s three-year term once she becomes lieutenant governor.
“I have been blessed with an outstanding administrative team at the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office,” Guadagno said. “I am confident that this team will help ensure a smooth and seamless transition to whoever is appointed sheriff of Monmouth County.”
According to the Monmouth County Directory, as chief executive and administrative officer of the county’s largest law enforcement agency, the county sheriff has supervision over the 700-plus employees who serve the Law Enforcement Division, the 1,300-bed Monmouth County Correctional Institution, the Monmouth County Youth Detention Center, the Civil Division, and the Public Safety and 911 Emergency Dispatch Center.