Rep. Andy Kim (D.N.J.) was appointed to the Senate on Sunday following the resignation of Democratic Pro Tempore Sen. George Helmy.
in statementGovernor Phil Murphy (D.N.J.) announced the appointment and outlined steps to ensure Kim “undertakes the smoothest possible transition into his new role and is able to hit the ground running.” He said he was taking lessons.
Murphy thanked Helmy for his three months of service in the Senate. Mr. Helmy was sworn into the Senate in September to serve out the remainder of former Sen. Bob Menendez's (Democratic) term.
Menendez's seat became vacant after he was convicted on 16 charges in a wide-ranging corruption scandal. He resigned from the Senate immediately after the conviction and said he intended to appeal.
“I would like to thank outgoing U.S. Sen. George Helmy for his continued service and commitment to New Jersey and the nation over the past three months. [closely] “This is to ensure a seamless transition of power with Senator-elect Kim,” Murphy said.
Murphy also congratulated Kim on making history as the state's first Asian American senator and the country's first Korean American elected to the Senate.
Kim, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2019, said in a statement that he is honored to continue serving New Jersey.
“It is an honor to serve in the United States Senate and represent the state that gave my family a chance at the American Dream,” Kim said. “This remains a dream out of reach for too many of our neighbors, but I’m ready to fight for it from day one.”
Mr. Helmy announced last week that he would resign as an ally of Mr. Kim and take up the post weeks before the next parliament begins.
Kim is scheduled to take the oath of office on Monday.
His election victory cemented his rise from being an underdog candidate to defeating Republican Curtis Bashaw.
