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 houses 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-numbe ...

and former mayor of

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

. 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 ** Hampton railway station, Melbour ...

. 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 is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...

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 Thomas Nelson Community College alumni People from Poquoson, Virginia 21st-century members of the Virginia General Assembly