New Jersey governor to appoint former aide to replace Sen. Bob Mendendez

• Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) will officially resign from the seat next week, after he was found guilty at his federal criminal corruption trial last month.
• Helmy has not yet been officially offered the role, but he is expected to be asked to fill the seat, a source familiar with the conversations told Axios.
• Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) and Republican real estate developer Curtis Bashaw will face off for the seat in a few months.

Catch up quick: Helmy left his role as Murphy's chief of staff last September to become an executive at one of the state's largest health care companies.

The big picture: Helmy's appointment would see the state turn the page on Mendendez's more than 30 year career in Congress.

• Menendez was found guilty on all 16 felony counts, to which he pleaded not guilty.
• The charges included accepting bribes from foreign governments. He faces decades in prison.
• If Menendez did not resign, he was facing expulsion from the Senate.

Go deeper: Sen. Bob Menendez found guilty in corruption trial