NEWARK, NJ (AP) — Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday named his former chief of staff to temporarily replace convicted U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, saying he would name the nominee for the post in November once election results are certified.
In the race are Democratic Representative Andy Kim and Republican hotelier Curtis Bashaw. Murphy said he has spoken to both of them about his plans.
“I have expressed to them that this approach will enable the Democratic-elected winner of this year’s election to keep the transition into office as short as possible so that he can best represent the people of New Jersey,” Murphy said at a press conference outside his office.
Former Chief of Staff George Helmy promised in his announcement Friday to resign after the election.
Helmy’s appointment underscored Murphy’s decision not to nominate Kim, who is in a robust position heading into November’s election. Kim and first lady Tammy Murphy engaged in a tangled primary battle for the Senate seat earlier this year before Tammy Murphy dropped out, fearing the prospect of a negative, divisive campaign.
“A lot of press reports – and I don’t blame anyone – would suggest that there was some kind of middle school drama between me and Andy Kim, which is simply not true,” Murphy said.
There is a lot at stake in the Senate election, with the Democrats holding a narrow majority. In the Democratic-leaning state of New Jersey, the Republicans have not won a Senate election in over five decades.
Helmy’s appointment will not be effective until Menendez resigns on August 20. The governor said he selected Helmy because he understands the role, having served as an adviser to New Jersey U.S. Senator Cory Booker and former New Jersey U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Murphy also praised Helmy’s work as his key adviser, and the two shared a brief hug after Helmy spoke.
“Here in New Jersey, we don’t reward politicians when they abuse the public trust,” Murphy said, referring to Menendez, who was convicted last month on charges that he sold the power of his office to three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for various favors. “We’re replacing them with public servants worthy of high office.”
Helmy, 44, served as Murphy’s chief of staff from 2019 to 2023 and currently works as an executive at one of the state’s largest health care providers, RWJBarnabas Health. He previously served as Booker’s state director in the Senate. The son of Egyptian parents who immigrated to New Jersey, Helmy attended New Jersey public schools and then Rutgers University.
Helmy said he has never sought elected office and never would, but that he will focus on public service during his brief tenure in the Senate.
“New Jersey deserves its full voice and representation in the entire United States Senate,” he said.
Menendez, 70, used his influence to interfere in three different state and federal investigations to protect the businessmen, prosecutors say. They say he helped one friend, who paid bribes, secure a multimillion-dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another secure a contract to religiously certify meat for Egypt.
He was also convicted of taking actions that benefited the Egyptian government in exchange for bribes, including revealing details about the personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators calling for the cancellation of military aid to Egypt. FBI agents found several gold bars and $480,000 hidden in Menendez’s home.
Menendez denied all allegations.
“I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country,” he said after his conviction. “I have never been a foreign agent.”
Menendez told Murphy in a letter last month that he planned to appeal the verdict but would resign on Aug. 20, just over a month after the jury returned its verdict.
On Friday, the state’s top elections office released an undated letter saying that Menendez had given up his independent run for Senate, which he had said he would pursue if acquitted in court.
Numerous Democrats had called on Menendez to resign, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Murphy had called on the Senate to expel Menendez if he did not resign. Only 15 senators have ever been expelled. Senator William Blount of Tennessee was expelled in 1797 for treason. The other 14 were expelled in 1861 and 1862 for supporting the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Election day is November 5. Certification of the results is scheduled for November 27, according to the governor’s office.
