NJ governor names his former chief of staff to replace Bob Menendez

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy formally announced Friday he would appoint his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to the U.S. Senate to replace resigning Sen. Bob Menendez.

"George is the ideal leader to take on this role, and he has more relevant experience under his belt than perhaps anybody in New Jersey," Murphy said at a press conference in Newark on Friday.

The governor also mentioned a historic dimension to Helmy's appointment; he will become the only Arab American currently serving in the U.S. Senate.

Murphy reiterated his own previous calls for Menendez's resignation.

"Sen. Menendez accomplished many things on behalf of our state and our residents. Sadly, he will be remembered for putting his own interests ahead of the public interest," Murphy said.

Menendez wrote to Murphy last month saying he would resign from the Senate as of Aug. 20.

At the press conference, Helmy spoke about his background as the son of immigrants and explained how his experience working in New Jersey government will inform his work in the U.S. Senate.

"I have never, nor will I ever, seek elected office. As a matter of fact, as the governor alluded to, the idea of being called senator bothers me deeply," Helmy said. "And I recognize I'll spend the rest of my life telling people, 'Please, go back to calling me what you did before.' And I appreciate that for much of both sides of this room, that will not be a problem at all."

"But our residents deserve a functioning Senate office upon which they can call for help," he added.

Helmy will only serve through the end of Menendez's current term, and Murphy said he had called Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Rep. Andy Kim and Republican U.S. Senate nominee Curtis Bashaw on Friday morning to tell them he was making this decision.

"I expressed to them my ardent belief that this approach will allow the democratically chosen winner of this year's election to embark on the smoothest possible transition into office so they can provide the best possible representation to the people of New Jersey," Murphy said.

Kim wrote on X after the announcement, "Having led Senator Booker's state operations for a number of years, George Helmy knows how to navigate the Senate and can step in immediately to keep delivering services for our state. That's incredibly important experience with so many challenging issues facing our state and our nation. I look forward to working with him in the Capitol."

Bashaw had written in a statement on Thursday, "Congratulations to George Helmy on his appointment to this position... Governor Murphy did the right thing in appointing a temporary caretaker to this seat and letting New Jersey voters make the ultimate decision on who will best represent them in the United States Senate come November."

Friday is also the last day Menendez can remove his name from the November ballot. The 70-year-old is still officially on the ballot running for his seat as an independent candidate.

Menendez, who had served as senator in New Jersey since 2006, was convicted on all counts, including bribery, fraud, acting as a foreign agent and obstruction, in a federal trial last month.

He planned to appeal his conviction and said he was "deeply disappointed" by the jury's decision. His sentencing was set for Oct. 29.

"I have never violated my oath," he said outside the courthouse following his conviction. "I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent."