George Helmy sworn in to fill remainder of Menendez term

New Jersey Sen. George Helmy (D) on Monday was sworn in to fill the remainder of former Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D) term in office.

Helmy, ex-chief of staff to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), was appointed by his former boss to replace Menendez, who resigned from his Senate seat last month after he was convicted on charges including bribery and acting as a foreign agent.

Helmy stood with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) as he took the oath of office, which was administered by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).

Helmy had also previously served as Booker’s state director.

The two New Jersey Democrats embraced after the oath was administered, and the chamber applauded.

“I just want to say a word of congratulations to our new senator,” Schumer said on the Senate floor, following his oath.

“He’s going to be a great addition, and it’s another ceiling being broken. He is the first member of the Coptic Church to become a senator in the United States of America,” he said, noting it’s “one of the oldest Christian denominations ever. So welcome.”

Helmy’s time in office will be short, as the six-year term expires at the start of 2025.

Once Menendez dropped out of the race for the Senate seat, the general election became a contest between Rep. Andy Kim (D) and Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw, along with other minor candidates.

Menendez had been gearing up for a run for another six-year term in the Senate when he was charged last fall in a wide-ranging corruption case alleging he accepted bribes in exchange for favors to three businessmen and acting as a foreign agent on behalf of Egypt and Qatar. He denied the charges and rejected widespread calls from members of his own party to resign.

He passed on running for the Democratic nomination for another term, but ultimately decided to try running as an independent, despite his poor approval rating following his indictment.

After he was found guilty on all 16 charges, Menendez announced he would resign from the Senate and shortly thereafter dropped his independent bid. He has vowed to appeal the ruling.

When Helmy was tapped to replace Menendez, he said he was grateful to Murphy for his “continued trust” alongside the governor’s “belief in my ability to step into this awesome role, and take on this awesome responsibility of this office.”

“I will stand as our second crucial voice in the Democratic Caucus under Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the important items that will come before us over the next months,” Helmy said at the time.