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George Helmy

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George Helmy
Official portrait, 2024
United States Senator
from New Jersey
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 23, 2024
Serving with Cory Booker
Appointed byPhil Murphy
Preceded byBob Menendez
Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey
In office
February 4, 2019 – September 30, 2023
GovernorPhil Murphy
Preceded byKathleen Frangione (acting)
Succeeded byDiane Gutierrez-Scaccetti
Personal details
Born (1979-10-27) October 27, 1979 (age 45)
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (2018; since 2024)
Other political
affiliations
SpouseCaroline
Children2
EducationRutgers University (BA)
Harvard Extension School (ALM)
WebsiteSenate website

George Samir Helmy (born October 27, 1979)[1][2] is an American politician serving since 2024 as the junior United States senator from New Jersey. A member of the Democratic Party, he was appointed by governor Phil Murphy after Senator Bob Menendez resigned, and served as Murphy's chief of staff from 2019 to 2023.[3] Helmy is the first Coptic-American U.S. senator.[4]

Early life and education

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Helmy was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, and grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.[5] He played on the basketball and football teams at Glen Ridge High School.[6] He received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Rutgers University and a master's degree in finance and management from Harvard University's Extension School. Helmy is Coptic American.[7][8]

Career

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Helmy worked for UPS as a business operations manager from 2001 to 2013, and as staff assistant and constituent advocate for Senator Frank Lautenberg from 2012 to 2013.[7] He then served as deputy and later state director for Senator Cory Booker before being hired as Governor Phil Murphy's chief of staff in January 2019.[9] He resigned in October 2021 to join Murphy's reelection campaign[10] before returning to the role 18 days later, after the election.[11] Helmy left the governor's office at the end of September 2023 and was succeeded by NJDOT commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti.[12] After departing the governor's office, he served as executive vice president and chief external affairs and policy officer at RWJBarnabas Health and as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.[8]

Helmy was a registered Republican until 2011, when he became an unaffiliated voter.[2] He briefly registered as a Democrat in 2018, to vote in the party's primary that year for U.S. representative in New Jersey's 11th congressional district,[2] but left the party at the end of the year, and remained an independent until March 2024, when he affiliated as a Democrat again.[2]

U.S. Senate

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Senate president pro tempore Patty Murray swears in Helmy, as Senator Cory Booker looks on.

The New Jersey Globe reported on August 13, 2024, that Helmy would be appointed to the United States Senate seat vacated by the resignation of Bob Menendez. Murphy announced Helmy's appointment on August 16.[3] On September 9, he was sworn in by Senate President pro tempore Patty Murray. He was assigned as a caretaker and is not a candidate in the November 2024 election.[8] Murphy announced that Helmy would resign in late November, after the 2024 election is certified, to be replaced by the election's winner, in order to give New Jersey's new senator an advantage in seniority over the other newly elected senators, who take office on January 3, 2025.[13]

On September 10, Helmy introduced his first sponsored bill, which would rename facilities at the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in honor of Congressman Bill Pascrell, who died in August.[14]

Committee assignments

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Personal life

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As of 2024, Helmy lives in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. He and his wife, Caroline, have two children.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "HELMY, George S. (1979–)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Tully, Tracey (August 23, 2024). "Menendez's Senate Replacement Has Been a Democrat for Just 5 Months". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Fox, Joey (August 16, 2024). "Statements on George Helmy's appointment to the U.S. Senate". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved August 16, 2024. It is an honor to appoint George Helmy, a proven public servant who deeply understands the complexities of Congress, to the United States Senate.
  4. ^ Jalonick, Mary Clare (September 9, 2024). "New Jersey Democrat George Helmy sworn in as replacement for Menendez in the Senate". Associated Press. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  5. ^ Snowflack, Fred. "The Irony of Helmy", Insider NJ, August 16, 2024. Accessed August 28, 2024. "Helmy, who was born in Jersey City and who grew up in Glen Ridge, worked for both Senators Frank Lautenberg and Cory Booker. He has been serving as Murphy’s chief of staff."
  6. ^ Scott, Eric. "Governor Murphy Taps George Helmy As U.S. Senate Replacement", WKXW, August 15, 2024. Accessed August 28, 2024. "The 44-year old Mountain Lakes resident is married with two children. Helmy attended Glen Ridge High School where he played football and basketball."
  7. ^ a b "George Helmy - Previously held position: New Jersey Office of the Governor (Nov. 2021-Sept. 2023) Philip Dunton Murphy (Phil), Chief of Staff". LegiStorm. Retrieved August 15, 2024. (registration required)
  8. ^ a b c Wildstein, David (August 15, 2024). "George Helmy will be new U.S. Senator from New Jersey". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  9. ^ "Governor Murphy Announces George Helmy as Chief of Staff". State of New Jersey. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Wildstein, David (October 13, 2021). "Helmy joining Murphy campaign for final stretch, resigning as chief of staff". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  11. ^ Wildstein, David (November 5, 2021). "Helmy is back as Murphy chief of staff". New Jersey Globe. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  12. ^ "Governor Murphy Announces Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti As Chief of Staff". NJ.gov. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  13. ^ Eyewitness News ABC7NY (August 16, 2024). LIVE | NJ Gov. Phil Murphy announces replacement for Sen. Bob Menendez. Retrieved August 17, 2024 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Hulac, Benjamin (September 16, 2024). "What George Helmy did his first week in Washington". NJ PBS. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Helmy.
U.S. Senate
Preceded by United States Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey
2024–present
Served alongside: Cory Booker 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas United States Senator from California Order of precedence of the United States
as United States Senator from New Jersey 		Succeeded by
United States senators by seniority
100th 		Last
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