Helmy will resign and hand the New Jersey Senate seat to Kim

NEW JERSEY – A changing of the guard in Congress will take place in New Jersey this week as U.S. Sen. George Samir Helmy resigns to make way for Sen.-elect Andy Kim.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced he would name Helmy, his former chief of staff, as Menendez’s interim successor in August. Helmy took office in September and promised to step down until a new senator was elected to a full term.

After his appointment to the U.S. Senate, Helmy became the only Arab-American senator in the 118th Congress.

A primary between Democratic and Republican candidates was held in June, with U.S. Representative Andy Kim (NJ-3) securing the Democratic nomination and South Jersey entrepreneur Curtis Bashaw receiving the Republican nomination. Independent and third-party candidates included Christina Khalil (Green Party), Kenneth Kaplan (Libertarian Party), Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party) and Patricia Mooneyham (Independent).

Kim ultimately won the 2024 general election. When he takes office, he will be the first Korean-American in the US Senate. See related: Bashaw concedes a race to Kim in the New Jersey Senate

The transition will mark a short but busy tenure for Helmy, who served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. He has introduced or co-sponsored more than 30 bills, including five resolutions that passed the Senate chamber, has a perfect voting record – including confirming 20 judicial nominees to the federal bench – and has championed youth mental health and humanitarian assistance Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon. Helmy also successfully nominated 48 candidates from New Jersey to the four United States military academies and established a state office that “expeditedly completed” 117 elective procedures, according to his staff.

Kim is expected to be sworn in before the US Senate on Monday.

“As I look back on my 85 days in this office, I am proud of the work that my team and I have been able to accomplish,” said Helmy.

“It has been the honor of my life to represent the people of New Jersey in the Senate, and I am forever grateful to Governor Murphy for entrusting me with this responsibility,” he said, adding that Garden State voters at the time “ The elected Kim made the right decision in November.

The senator-elect returned the compliment, saying that Helmy’s tenure in the Senate had been “one full of dedication and stability.”

“Senator Helmy has advocated for New Jersey numerous times throughout his career, and we are grateful for his willingness to do so again in times of need,” Kim said. “He has served the people of New Jersey well and brought attention to critical issues such as the youth mental health crisis – an issue I want to continue to focus on.”

Cory Booker, the senior US senator from New Jersey, also praised his counterpart for his “unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the people we represent.”

“He has accomplished so much in a short period of time and his leadership has made us all proud,” Booker said.

Governor Murphy also thanked Helmy for his service, adding that he wanted to provide Kim with a “smooth transition into office” by appointing him to the U.S. Senate.

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