Senator Helene Duhamel

Senator Helene Duhamel Contact information

Here you will find contact information for Senator Helene Duhamel, including email address, phone number, and mailing address.

NameHelene Duhamel
PositionSenator
Statestate representatives     South Dakota     
PartyRepublican
emailEmail Form
Website
Contact Senator Helene Duhamel
Helene Duhamel, born in 1962, is an American politician and journalist. She currently serves as a member of the South Dakota Senate from the 32nd district.

Senator Helene Duhamel



Helene Duhamel, born in 1962, is an American politician and journalist. She currently serves as a member of the South Dakota Senate from the 32nd district. A native of Rapid City, South Dakota, Duhamel attended St. Martin’s Academy before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication and international relations from Stanford University in 1984.

Career:

  • After college, Duhamel worked as a news anchor for KDUH in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
  • In 1989, she returned to Rapid City, where she continued her career in journalism.
  • Duhamel was appointed to the Senate by Governor Kristi Noem in 2019 to fill the vacancy left by Alan Solano.
  • Prior to her Senate appointment, she served as a television news anchor for KOTA-TV and worked as the public information officer for the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.

Electoral History:

  • In 2020, Duhamel ran for re-election to the South Dakota State Senate, representing District 32. She was unopposed in the Republican primary.
  • Duhamel secured victory, defeating Democratic challenger Michael Calabrese by a margin of 64% to 36%.
  • Her legislative responsibilities include serving on the Local Government Interim Committee and as the Vice Chair of the Health and Human Services Interim Committee.

Legislation:

  • During the 2020 South Dakota Legislative Session, Duhamel sponsored several bills that were successfully passed into law:
    1. HB 1056: Revised drone surveillance protections.
    2. SB 60: Adopted the Physical Therapist Licensure Compact.
    3. SB 61: Revised certain provisions regarding a municipal office nominating petition.
    4. SB 70: Revised the offenses for which an order for interception of communications may be granted.

Notable Achievements:

  • Duhamel was elected to a full term in 2020 and was selected by her peers to serve as a Republican Majority Whip.
  • She balances her legislative responsibilities with a full-time job at the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.

Senator Helene Duhamel continues to contribute to South Dakota’s governance and community development.

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