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Democratic senators-elect Andy Kim of New Jersey and Adam Schiff of California were named to the upper house of Congress three weeks early Sunday following their election victories last month.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, also a Democrat, announced Sunday that he nominated Kim to the U.S. Senate after the official certification of the 2024 election results by the state board of collectors and the resignation of Sen. George Helmy on Thursday. Helmy, a former chief of staff to Murphy, was jury in the Senate in September after Sen. Bob Menendez, DN.J., was convicted in a federal corruption trial and resigned from the Senate a month earlier.
Kim defeated Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw by nearly 10 percentage points in the November election.
“Today, I will nominate Senator-elect Andy Kim to the United States Senate so he can begin his term before the new year begins,” Murphy said in a statement.. “Taking this step will allow Senator Kim to embark on the smoothest possible transition into his new role so he can hit the ground running serving the people of New Jersey.”
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Rep. Adam Schiff, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in California, after voting at the McCambridge Recreation Center in Burbank on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Meanwhile, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Schiff on Sunday to complete the remainder of Sen. Laphonza Butler’s term.
Butler, the former EMILY’s List chair who was tapped in 2023 to serve out the remainder of Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term, resigned Saturday.
“When Senator Laphonza Butler took her seat in the Senate a year ago, she brought with her a lifetime of lessons learned in organizing and standing up for opportunity and justice,” Newsom said. “In a short time, he has left an indelible mark, proving that true leadership is not measured by length of service, but by depth of impact.”
“Laphonza has never shied away from fighting for what is right. She works not for recognition, but for the greater good, a commitment that began long before her time in the Senate and will continue well beyond,” Newsom added. “Thank you, Senator Butler, for your dedication and service and for honoring the life and legacy of the late Diane Feinstein, a legacy that I am sure Senator-elect Schiff will also carry forward.”
Schiff defeated GOP candidate and former Los Angeles Dodgers star Steve Garvey by more than 17 percentage points on Election Day.
Schiff and Kim are expected to be sworn in by the Senate on Monday.
Representative Andy Kim, DN.J., speaks to delegates in Paramus, NJ on March 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Murphy congratulated Kim “for making history as the first Asian American senator from New Jersey and as the first Korean American senator in the nation.”
“His election represents a proud milestone, not only for our great state, but for our entire country,” Murphy said. “I look forward to working with Senator Kim to continue to lower costs for New Jerseyans, defend our fundamental freedoms, and build a stronger and fairer state for every family.”
Kim, who represented New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District in the House, said it is an honor “to be able to represent the state that gave my family a chance at the American dream in the United States Senate.”
“It’s a dream that’s out of reach for too many neighbors and one that I’m ready on day one to fight for,” Kim said. “I want to thank Governor Murphy and Senator Helmy for making sure New Jersey was well represented during this transition and I look forward to working for the people.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., meets with newly elected Democratic senators, including Sen.-elect Andy Kim on Nov. 12, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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In a statement announcing his resignation Thursday, Helmy said he and Kim “have worked closely since he was elected to ensure a seamless transition, and I have made myself available in the coming weeks to support that process.” .
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of New Jersey in the Senate, and I am eternally grateful to Governor Murphy for entrusting me with this responsibility,” Helmy said. “The voters of New Jersey made the right decision in November to elect Andy Kim as their United States Senator. Having known him for nearly a decade, I can attest to Senator Kim’s great dedication, character and empathy to the people of New Jersey.”
Sen. Bob Menendez, DN.J., leaves Manhattan federal court on July 16, 2024. (MEGA/GC images)
In his short 85 days in office, Helmy said how introduced and co-sponsored more than 30 bills, including five resolutions that passed the Senate House, maintained a perfect voting record, including the confirmation of 20 federal judicial nominees, “advocated for youth mental health and the provision of humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon,” and successfully nominated 48 candidates from New Jersey to the four United States Military Academies.
Menendez was sentenced in July in the 16 charges faced a federal corruption trial. Prosecutors alleged he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, including gold, cash and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for using his influence to interfere with state and federal investigations into three businessmen. The now-former senator is also alleged to have helped a friend secure a multi-million dollar deal with a Qatari investment fund and another to secure a contract to supply halal meat to Egypt.
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Menendez asked for a new trial and to have his conviction thrown out last week, citing what he argued was inadequate evidence seen by jurors during deliberations.
