Helmy, Kelley, Bollwage confirmation hearings set for Monday

Two top aides to Gov. Phil Murphy will be on the Senate Judiciary Committee agenda on Monday as nominees to serve as commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

George Helmy, the governor’s chief of staff, and Joe Kelley, his deputy chief of staff, will be interviewed by the committee and could be confirmed as early as Monday afternoon, when the full Senate meets.

Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage, nominated by Murphy to a seat on the Port Authority, will also appear before the Judiciary Committee on Monday.

All three nominations had been intended to move through the Senate in tandem.

Once the three move through the Senate — there is no indication of obstacles for any of the nominees — New Jersey will be back to its full complement of six commissioners for the first time since Raymond Pocino retired after a long tenure in September 2021.

Helmy, Kelley and Bollwage will join the existing three commissioners: Kevin O’Toole, Kevin McCabe and Michelle Richardson. 

There is a commitment from the incoming commissioners that O’Toole will remain as chairman of the powerful bi-state transportation agency.

Helmy, who worked on transportation issues as an aide to Frank Lautenberg and as Cory Booker’s state director, and Kelley has been Murphy’s lead advisor on economic issues.

The Judiciary Committee is also set to consider the nomination of Nadia Kahf Alqudah to be a judge of the Superior Court on Monday.  Her name had been on last week’s agenda but was pulled the night before.