Helene Duhamel

Helene Duhamel (born 1962)[1] is an American politician and journalist serving as a member of the South Dakota Senate from the 32nd district.[2]

Helene Duhamel
Member of the South Dakota Senate
from the 32nd district
Assumed office
December 3, 2019
Preceded byAlan Solano
Personal details
Born1962 (age 60–61)
Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationStanford University (BA)

Early life and education

A native of Rapid City, South Dakota, attended St. Martin's Academy. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication and international relations from Stanford University in 1984.

Career

After graduating from college, she worked as a news anchor for KDUH in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. In 1989, she returned to Rapid City.[3][4]

Duhamel was appointed to the Senate by Governor Kristi Noem in 2019 to fill the vacancy left by Alan Solano.[5][6] Duhamel had previously served as a television news anchor for KOTA-TV and as the public information office for the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.[7][8]

Electoral history

In 2020, Duhamel ran for re-election to the South Dakota State Senate to represent District 32; she was unopposed in the Republican primary. Duhamel beat Democratic challenger Michael Calabrese by 64% to 36%. Calabrese was a small business owner and served on the Rapid City Board of Parks and Recreation.[9]

2020 General Election: South Dakota State Senate District 32[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Checked Helene Duhamel 7,397 64%
Democratic Michael Calabrese 4,413 36%

Legislative History

2020 Legislative Session

After her appointment to the State Senate, Duhamel represented District 32 during the 2020 South Dakota Legislative Session.

Senate Committee Membership
Position Committee
Vice-Chair Local Government
Member Health and Human Services

Duhamel also served on the Local Government Interim Committee and as the Vice Chair of the Health and Human Services Interim Committee.

Duhamel's 2020 Prime Sponsored Legislation[11]
Bill Number Bill Title
HB 1056 revise drone surveillance protections
SB 60 adopt the Physical Therapist Licensure Compact
SB 61 revise certain provisions regarding a municipal office nominating petition
SB 70 revise the offenses for which an order for interception of communications may be granted

In 2020, all four pieces of legislation that Duhamel prime sponsored were passed into law and signed by the Governor Kristi Noem.[11]

References
  1. "A face for the fight". Gillette News Record. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  2. "SDLRC - Senator Helene Duhamel - 2020". sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  3. staff, Jim Holland Journal (10 March 2017). "Helene Duhamel looks back at 30 years at KOTA". Rapid City Journal Media Group. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  4. "Helene Duhamel - Speaking at TEDx Rapid City". tedxrapidcity.com. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  5. Kaczke, Lisa. "State Sen. Alan Solano resigns from Legislature, citing professional responsibilities". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  6. "South Dakota State News Home". news.sd.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  7. "Helene Duhamel, longtime West River journalist, appointed to state Senate". kotatv.com. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  8. "Helene Duhamel". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  9. staff, Nathan Thompson Journal (29 September 2020). "Duhamel, Calabrese running for Senate District 32 seat". Rapid City Journal Media Group. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  10. "South Dakota Secretary of State". electionresults.sd.gov. 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  11. "South Dakota Legislature". sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-01.


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