Senator George Helmy (D-N.J.) has decided the time has come to give up his seat and allow incoming Senator-elect Andy Kim (D-N.J.) to take over a little early.
Helmy was appointed by Democrat Governor Phil Murphy to fill the seat after Senator Menendez was forced to resign in disgrace.
Helmy appears to want to give Kim the ability to hit the ground running by resigning the seat with a month left in the term.
I’ll Go
I am not sure Helmy ever really wanted this seat, as this seems more like he was doing Governor Murphy a favor by keeping the seat warm until after the election.
My best guess here is that Murphy did not want to impact the election, so rather than appoint the seat to Kim, who was the Democrat frontrunner, he put his buddy in there to keep it warm until the election was completed.
In announcing his resignation, Helmy stated, “It is with a profound sense of gratitude and emotion that I announce my resignation as U.S. Senator for New Jersey.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime representing the people of New Jersey in the Senate and I am eternally grateful to Governor Murphy for entrusting me with this responsibility.”
Kim complimented and thanked Helmy in accepting the seat, stating, “His tenure in the Senate was one of dedication and stability. He served the people of New Jersey well and drew attention to critical issues like the youth mental health crisis, an issue I plan to continue to focus on.”
This will be history in the making, as Kim will be the first Korean American to serve in the United States Senate.
Kim has a very low watermark to hit, having replaced Senator Menendez, arguably one of the most corrupt politicians of our time.
Menendez has faced corruption allegations for virtually his entire career, but the odds finally caught up to him during the most recent investigation.
