There is an acting governor in New Jersey because Governor Phil Murphy is currently unavailable, likely due to being out of office for reasons such as vacation or other responsibilities. In his absence, Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way assumes the role of acting governor, which includes the authority to issue executive orders and oversee state functions, as she did recently to declare a State of Emergency ahead of a nor'easter storm. This is a routine situation under New Jersey law, where the lieutenant governor steps in when the governor is not present. If both the governor and lieutenant governor are unavailable, then the state senate president would be next in line to serve as acting governor.