Pamela A. Helming (born February 18, 1962) is an American politician from the state of New York. A
Republican, Helming has represented
Senate District 54 in the
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate.
Partisan com ...
since 2017. Prior to her election to the State Senate, Helming served as the town supervisor for
Canandaigua, New York. She was elected to that post in 2014.
Life and career
A graduate of
Hiram College
Hiram College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Hiram, Ohio. It was founded in 1850 as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute by Amos Sutton Hayden and other members of the Disciples of Christ Church. The college is nonsectarian and coe ...
, Helming's career has been focused on individuals with
developmental disabilities, including those who reside in
group homes
A group home, congregate living facility, or care home (the latter especially in British English and Australian English) is a residence model of medical care for those with complex health needs. Traditionally, the model has been used for children ...
. She and her husband, Gary Helming, have resided in the
Canandaigua, New York area for over thirty years and have raised their two children there.
Helming was first elected to local office in 2010 as a town councilperson. In 2014, she was elected a Town Supervisor from Canandaigua, which elevated her to the county level of government.
New York State Senate
In 2016, twenty-four year incumbent Sen.
Michael Nozzolio
Michael F. Nozzolio (born April 10, 1951) is the former New York State Senator for the 54th district. He is a Republican. He was first elected in 1992. The 54th district included parts of the city of Auburn, New York, Geneva, New York, and part ...
announced his impending retirement from the State Senate due to health concerns. Sen. Nozzolio represented Senate District 54. Although competitive on paper, Senate District 54 was seen as friendly to Republicans. Five candidates sought the GOP nomination for State Senate in Senate District 54 in 2016. In a tight race with very low turnout, Helming received a plurality of 33% of the vote and won the primary by 210 votes.
In the 2016 general election, Helming faced Democrat Kenan S. Baldridge as well as Floyd G. Rayburn, who had come in second to Helming in the Republican primary but continued his candidacy on the Reform Party line. Helming prevailed with over 60% of the vote.
Helming was reelected in 2018 and again in 2020 with over 60% of the vote.
See also
*
List of New York state senators
This is a complete list of members of the New York State Senate, past and present. Members currently serving in the Senate as of July 2022 are highlighted .
See also
* New York State Senate
* Majority Leader of the New York State Senate
* New Y ...
References
External links
Senator Pam Helming official site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Helming, Pam
Living people
Politicians from Canandaigua, New York
Hiram College alumni
Town supervisors in New York (state)
Republican Party New York (state) state senators
Women state legislators in New York (state)
21st-century American politicians
21st-century American women politicians
1962 births