Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has appointed his former chief of staff, George Helmy on Friday, August 16, to replace Bob Menendez in the US Senate.
As per Reuters, Menendez resigned following his conviction on corruption charges.
Helmy, a fellow Democrat, will temporarily fill Menendez's seat, ensuring the party maintains its 51-49 majority in the Senate until a winner is determined in the upcoming November 5 election.
The race to permanently fill Menendez's seat is expected to be competitive, with Democratic Representative Andy Kim favored to win against Republican real estate developer Curtis Bashaw in the heavily Democratic state.
Governor Murphy praised Helmy, stating, "George is the model of integrity we need to help restore public trust in our state’s leadership."
Helmy, currently an executive at a healthcare company, has previously worked for US Senator Cory Booker and former Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Meanwhile, Helmy expressed his commitment to serving New Jersey, saying, "While I am honored to serve and provide New Jersey with a Senate office that they can depend on, I commit to stepping down early to give the duly elected Senator the chance to begin their work."
