New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy appointed Andy Kim to the U.S. Senate on Sunday following the certification of the general election results last week, according to a decision he shared on social media Monday.
Kim, who won 53% of the vote in the November election, was slated to take office in January. His appointment will allow him to finish out the remaining weeks of former Sen. Bob Menendez’s term.
“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,” Murphy said.
Menendez resigned over the summer after being convicted on corruption charges, including accepting bribes in the form of gold bars and cash to benefit the Egyptian and Qatari governments.
In August, Murphy said he was appointing his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to serve as interim senator. Helmy resigned last week, paving the way for Kim.
Kim previously served three terms representing New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District.
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