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State Legislative Profile

State Senator Helene Duhamel

Helene Duhamel serves as State Senator for District 32nd in South Dakota.

Profile Timeline

  • Entered office.

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.