TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Sen.
Bob Menendez’s Senate career came to a close Tuesday, capping roughly five decades in Democratic politics that took him from the local school board to chair of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, just over a month after a jury convicted him on federal bribery charges. Menendez signaled his resignation would take effect at the end of the day Tuesday in a letter last month to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who said Friday he’s tapping a former top aide to succeed the three-term incumbent.
George Helmy will succeed Menendez until the November election results for the Senate seat are certified late in the month, the governor said. At that point, Murphy said Helmy will resign and he’ll name the winner of the election to the seat. The stakes in the Senate election are high, with Democrats holding on to a narrow majority.
Republicans have not won a Senate election in Democratic-leaning New Jersey in over five decades. His resignation also comes as Democrats gather in Chicago for their national convention to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris to be their standard bearer nationally in November Democratic Rep. Andy Kim and Republican hotel developer Curtis Bashaw are facing off in the general election.
Helmy, 44, served as Murphy’s chief of staff from 2019 until 2023 and currently serves as an executive at one of the state’s largest health care providers, RWJBarnabas Health. He previously served as Sen. Cory Booker’s state .