By Bo Erickson and Jarrett Renshaw
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has picked his former chief of staff to serve the remainder of Bob Menendez’s term in the U.S. Senate following his resignation after being convicted of corruption, a source with direct knowledge of the decision said on Thursday.
Murphy on Friday intends to publicly name fellow Democrat George Helmy to fill Menendez’s seat, the source said. The move will maintain the party’s 51-49 majority in the Senate, until a winner takes office after the Nov. 5 election, when control of Congress and the White House will be up for grabs.
Democratic Representative Andy Kim, who is seeking Menendez’ seat in the election, is expected to beat Republican real estate developer Curtis Bashaw in the heavily Democratic state, which has not elected a Republican senator since 1978.
Republicans are favored to capture a Senate majority in the November election as Democrats seek to defend seats in multiple states that Donald Trump won in the 2020 election.
Helmy served as Murphy’s chief of staff until October. The governor in a statement at that time said Helmy’s “unique mix of public and private sector experience, strong management skills, and deep relationships across the political spectrum made him uniquely capable to excel in this job.”
Currently an executive at a healthcare company, Helmy earlier in his career worked for U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey and former Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Menendez, 70, said he would end his three-decade congressional career on Aug. 20 after a federal jury in New York on July 16 convicted him in an influence-peddling scheme, on charges including obstruction of justice, wire fraud and extortion.
Prosecutors argued the senior lawmaker used his influence in Congress to negotiate billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Egypt in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars and car and mortgage payments from three businessmen.
Menendez’s son, U.S. Representative Rob Menendez, represents a New Jersey congressional district, similar to the district his father represented earlier in his career.
(Reporting by Bo Erickson and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Scott Malone and Cynthia Osterman)
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