Helmy will depart as Murphy’s chief of staff

George Helmy, the longest-serving chief of staff to a New Jersey governor in state history and the most powerful non-elected official in the state, will leave Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration at the end of the month.

But Murphy told the New Jersey Globe that Helmy will remain his primary political advisor and continue to manage his political relationships outside of state government, in New Jersey and nationally.

Helmy, whose pending departure had been widely anticipated, has not announced his next position.  He’s been chief of staff since February 4, 2019.

While Murphy said he has not yet made a final decision on his next chief of staff, sources with direct knowledge of the selection process said that the field has been narrowed to four candidates: Commissioner of Transportation Diane Guttierez-Scaccetti, who is viewed as the frontrunner; Deputy Chief of Staff Tim Hillmann; Commissioner of Human Services Sarah Adelman; and Kate McDonnell, the attorney general’s chief counsel and the governor’s former deputy counsel.

Murphy called Helmy a “five-tool player” and described him as having “incredible judgment” that helped him become the first Democratic governor in 44 years to be re-elected to a second term.

“Unflappable, an outstanding manager of people, just one thing after another.  He’s got it all,” Murphy said.  “No matter what he does in life, he’s going to be he’s going to be hugely successful in that.”

In a telephone interview, Murphy didn’t hesitate to share credit for what he called the accomplishments of his tenure as governor.

“I guess my name is on the masthead, but no one deserves more credit than George,” Murphy said, noting his administration’s stronger and fairer agenda, upgrades of New Jersey’s credit ratings, and “addressing the inequities that have plagued our state for so long.”

Murphy said that Helmy’s “unique mix of public and private sector experience, strong management skills, and deep relationships across the political spectrum made him uniquely capable to excel in this job.”

“From managing our all-of-government response to a once-in-a-century pandemic to driving nearly every single one of our legislative goals to completion, George has put his heart and soul into serving the people of New Jersey,” he said.

On March 13, Helmy broke a record held for more than 33 years by Edward R. McGlynn, who served as chief of staff to Gov. Thomas Kean from  December 30, 1985, until Kean left office on January 16, 1990.  Helmy’s service includes an 18-day interruption in 2021 when he resigned as chief of staff to spend the last few weeks of the election on Murphy’s re-election campaign.

Helmy became Murphy’s chief of staff after a turbulent first year for a newly-elected governor, leaving his post as state director to U.S. Senator Cory Booker — he previously served as an aide to Booker’s predecessor, Frank Lautenberg — to replace Peter Cammarano.

When he first arrived in Trenton, Helmy said he had “no idea what to expect.”

“From dealing with a global pandemic to negotiating six on-time state budgets, I’ve approached every challenge with gratitude for the trust and confidence that the Governor and First Lady have placed in me,” Helmy said in a statement released by the governor’s office.  “I tried to approach every issue we faced by upholding the high moral and ethical standards the Governor set for us and by leading with the same compassion and empathy the Murphys brought to governing every day.”

In addition to helping Murphy navigate the political arena, Helmy will also continue to serve as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  The State Senate unanimously confirmed him in February.

“He may be leaving his job as chief of staff, but he’ll continue to play and lead from the outside,” Murphy said.  “His position in the political constellation is indispensable.  There’s only one guy who really can play the role he plays, and that’s him.”

Murphy said Helmy’s outside role as a counselor will be finalized once it’s clear where his next destination is, but stressed that there will be just one chief of staff in Trenton.

“He’s not a meddler,” the governor said.  “He understands that that person, whoever it is, deserves the space.”

Murphy offered no hints on Helmy’s replacement – “I’ve not made a final call on that” – but said he hopes his third chief of staff might be his last.  There’s been considerably less turnover in the Murphy administration than the state saw during the first six years of his predecessor.

Still, there’s little doubt that he’ll be missed by the governor and by First Lady Tammy Murphy.

“I wish him well in his next chapter, and I look forward to continuing to rely on his wise counsel as not only a trusted colleague but, more importantly, a close friend,” Murphy stated.