This Morris County Official Could Be Ciattarelli's Lt. Governor, Reports Say

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon has unofficially been tapped for the lieutenant governor position by Republican gubernatorial nominee Jack Ciattarelli, according to reports.

According to a report from the New Jersey Globe, a formal announcement of Ciattarelli's pick is scheduled for tomorrow at Johnnies Tavern, a bar in Boonton.

The New Jersey Globe also said that Gannon beat out five other finalists for the position: State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-River Vale), Assemblyman Michael Inganamort (R-Chester), Middletown Mayor Tony Perry, Nick De Gregorio, a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran from Fair Lawn, and Assemblyman Don Guardian (R-Atlantic City).

Ciattarelli's selection was also confirmed by Insider NJ.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, who represents Gannon’s district in Morris County, has until July 28 to select her lieutenant governor nominee.

Sheriff Gannon, 64, serves as the 77th Sheriff of Morris County and was elected to his first, three-year term in 2016 and was sworn in 2017. Gannon was re-elected to his third term in 2023 and is currently in the ninth year of his position.

The Boonton native is the son of a New York City police detective, and joined the force himself after earning his Associate’s degree in Law Enforcement from County College of Morris, and then his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from William Paterson University.

He first served as a beat cop for the Boonton Police Department, eventually becoming Deputy Chief of Investigations at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office. He also served the FBI’s elite Joint Terrorism Task Force and Morris County-based Novartis Pharmaceuticals, where he retired as the Global Head of Security Risk, according to his online bio.