| Helene Duhamel | |
| Birth Place: | Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Education: | Stanford University (BA) |
| Office: | Member of the South Dakota Senate from the 32nd district |
| Termstart: | December 3, 2019 |
| Predecessor: | Alan Solano |
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]
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.
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]
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]
After her appointment to the State Senate, Duhamel represented District 32 during the 2020 South Dakota Legislative Session.
| Vice-Chair | Local Government | |
| Member | Health and Human Services |
| 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 |