Senator Helene Duhamel

Helene Marie Duhamel Duffy was born in 1962 in Palo Alto, California. She is currently based in Rapid City, South Dakota, and is an American politician and journalist. Before her career in public service, Duhamel worked as a television news anchor for KOTA-TV and served as the public information officer for the Pennington County Sheriff's Office.

Education

Duhamel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University.

Political Experience

Duhamel serves as a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate representing the 32nd district. She was appointed to the Senate on December 3, 2019, by Governor Kristi Noem to fill the vacancy left by Alan Solano.

Within the Senate, Duhamel has held significant leadership roles, serving as Majority Whip during the 2021-2022 and 2023-2024 legislative sessions. She sits on the Senate Committee on Judiciary and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Duhamel is known for her focus on water infrastructure and rural development issues, earning the affectionate nickname "Water Woman" for her long-standing advocacy on water-related subjects. She has championed initiatives to create water infrastructure development funds that provide grants and loans for rural water projects throughout South Dakota.