In August, Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy appointed his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to temporarily fill the vacancy left by the resignation in disgrace of ex-Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who was convicted in July on federal bribery and corruption charges.

The appointment included an agreement that Sen. Helmy would only serve until voters chose a permanent replacement, so Helmy is now set to resign his seat in favor of Sen.-elect Andy Kim (D-NJ), who won overwhelmingly last month, according to The Hill.

Helmy will reportedly step down on Sunday so that Murphy can appoint Kim early before his six-year term officially begins in January. Kim, a three-term congressman, will also have to first resign from his House seat to formally take his new seat in the Senate.

Resigning early to make way for replacement

In an interview with the Washington Examiner, caretaker Sen. Helmy heralded his incoming replacement, Sen.-elect Kim, as the "exact type of person you want in these institutions," and said, "He’s just so thoughtful. He’s compassionate. He’s clearly well-versed in the issues facing New Jersey and the nation. So, we are very lucky to have him in this seat."

He also said that he'd "far exceeded" what he'd envisioned himself accomplishing when his brief tenure as a senator began roughly three months ago, citing dozens of bills he'd introduced, especially dealing with his main issue of youth mental health, as well as his trip to Jordan to help highlight the humanitarian crisis caused by multiple conflicts raging across the Middle East.

"Whatever life holds for me next, it’s been phenomenal," Helmy said when asked what he plans to do next. "We ran hard, and we’re very proud of what we’ve been able to do, and it’s a continuation of my public service. Now, I get to sort of take a seat and think about what I want to do."

Helmy and Kim cooperating on transition

The New Jersey Globe reported that Sen. Helmy said in a statement on Tuesday, "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."

"The voters of New Jersey made the right decision in November to elect Andy Kim to serve as their United States Senator," he continued. "Having known him for nearly a decade now, I can attest to Senator Kim’s great dedication, character, and empathy towards the people of New Jersey."

The outgoing senator added, "Andy and I have worked closely since his being elected to ensure a seamless transition and I have made myself readily available over the coming weeks to support this process."

In response to the news of Helmy's impending resignation, Sen.-elect Kim said in a statement, "Senator Helmy has stepped up to serve New Jersey numerous times in his career, and we are grateful for his willingness to do so yet again in a time of need."

"His tenure in the Senate was one of dedication and stability," the incoming senator added. "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. I thank Senator Helmy for his friendship and service."

Historical tenures

The Hill noted that Helmy made history as the first Coptic Christian to serve in the U.S. Senate, and is currently the only Arab-American serving in that legislative body. Likewise, Kim will make history as the nation's first Korean-American U.S. senator.

Per the Globe, Helmy's 90-day tenure in office will be the 11th-shortest on record, but he still managed to make an impact in that short period, including sponsoring or co-sponsoring 30 bills, including five resolutions that passed the Senate, and at least 20 federal judicial nominees he voted to confirm.

The Examiner reported that Gov. Murphy, who is expected to appoint Kim to take over and be sworn in on Monday, issued a message of thanks to Helmy for his "commitment and service to the people of New Jersey."