New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy intends to appoint his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to fill the Senate seat that Sen. Bob Menendez will vacate next week, multiple New Jersey media outlets reported Wednesday evening, citing sources.
Helmy, who has most recently worked as executive vice president and head of external affairs for RWJBarnabas Health, will serve until the end of the 118th Congress. The seat for the full term starting in January will be filled by the winner of the November election between Rep. Andy Kim, the Democratic nominee, and Republican Curtis Bashaw.
Helmy served as Murphy’s chief of staff for more than four years and previously was state director for New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who he will now serve alongside. Earlier in his career, Helmy worked for the late Democratic Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg.
Menendez, who was convicted on all 16 counts of public corruption and bribery brought against him by federal prosecutors in New York earlier this summer, previously announced that he would resign effective Aug. 20.
Murphy could have appointed Kim, which would have given the representative a seniority advantage assuming he wins the general election in the heavily-Democratic state. But Kim ran in the Democratic primary against the governor’s wife, Tammy Murphy, who ultimately dropped out of the race.
Helmy will join a list of other former senior aides to governors to win appointment as caretaker senators, including New Jersey Republican Jeffrey Chiesa, Massachusetts Democrat Mo Cowan and West Virginia Democrat Carte P. Goodwin.
The post Murphy to appoint George Helmy to replace Menendez in Senate appeared first on Roll Call.
