Helene Duhamel
Helene Duhamel | |
---|---|
Member of the South Dakota Senate from the 32nd district | |
Assumed office December 3, 2019 | |
Preceded by | Alan Solano |
Personal details | |
Born | 1962 (age 61–62) Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Education | Stanford University (BA) |
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]
Early life and education
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | ![]() | 7,397 | 64% | |
Democratic | Michael Calabrese | 4,413 | 36% |
Legislative History
[edit]2020 Legislative Session
[edit]After her appointment to the State Senate, Duhamel represented District 32 during the 2020 South Dakota Legislative Session.
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.
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
[edit]- ^ "A face for the fight". Gillette News Record. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ "SDLRC - Senator Helene Duhamel - 2020". sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Helene Duhamel - Speaking at TEDx Rapid City". tedxrapidcity.com. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ Kaczke, Lisa. "State Sen. Alan Solano resigns from Legislature, citing professional responsibilities". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ "South Dakota State News Home". news.sd.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ "Helene Duhamel, longtime West River journalist, appointed to state Senate". kotatv.com. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ "Helene Duhamel". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ^ staff, Nathan Thompson Journal (29 September 2020). "Duhamel, Calabrese running for Senate District 32 seat". Rapid City Journal Media Group. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ "South Dakota Secretary of State". electionresults.sd.gov. 2020-11-03. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ a b "South Dakota Legislature". sdlegislature.gov. Retrieved 2022-01-01.