Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who is stepping down later this month, will be replaced by a longtime aide to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.
Murphy, a Democrat, has named his former chief of staff George Helmy as Menendez’s interim successor. Helmy served under Murphy for five years, making him the longest-serving gubernatorial chief of staff in the state’s history.
“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 Aug. 16 in a speech announcing the decision.
Helmy is currently an executive at RWJ Barnabas Health, the Garden State’s largest health care system. Prior to joining the Murphy administration, he served as an aide to Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and before that, the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)….