Gordon Clair Helsel, Jr. (born January 9, 1947) is a former member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

and former mayor of

Poquoson, Virginia Poquoson (), informally known as Bull Island, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,460. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Poquoson with surrounding York County ...

. He represented the 91st district, which includes Poquoson and part of the neighboring city of

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia *Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria Canada * Hampton, New Brunswick *Ha ...

. A retired businessman, Helsel previously served on the city council (1982–1990), as vice mayor (1990–1994), and as mayor (1996–2010) of Poquoson.

Legislative positions

While serving as a member of the House of Delegates, Helsel's voting record angered many conservative Republicans, including his vote to expand

Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and per ...

in Virginia, and his vote to defeat the "Tebow Bill". He retired before facing a primary challenger in 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Helsel, Gordon 1947 births Republican Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates Politicians from Hampton, Virginia Mayors of places in Virginia Living people 21st-century American politicians Thomas Nelson Community College alumni People from Poquoson, Virginia