| Dan Helmer | |
| Office: | Member of the Virginia House of Delegates |
| Constituency: | 40th district (2020–2024) 10th district (2024–present) |
| Term Start: | January 8, 2020 |
| Predecessor: | Tim Hugo |
| Birth Name: | Daniel Isaac Helmer |
| Birth Place: | New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Education: | United States Military Academy (BS) Wolfson College, Oxford (MPhil) |
| Allegiance: |  United States |
| Branch: | United States Army Reserve |
| Serviceyears: | 2004–2017 |
| Rank: | Lieutenant Colonel |
Daniel Isaac Helmer (born September 27, 1981) is an American politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2018, he lost the Democratic primary for . In 2019, he successfully ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in district 40, defeating Republican incumbent Tim Hugo. The majority of the pre-redistricted 40th district's population and landmass was located in Fairfax County with a small part in Prince William County. Helmer currently represents the 10th district post-redistricting, which is located entirely in Fairfax County.
Helmer is a graduate of the United States Military Academy (West Point). While at West Point, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He earned a master's degree at Wolfson College, Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. Helmer served tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea; and is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve.[1] [2]
In 2018, Helmer was a Democratic candidate for the 2018 Virginia's 10th congressional district election in the United States House of Representatives. According to The Cook Political Report, state senator Jennifer Wexton was "the substantial frontrunner", and she ultimately won the primary with 42% of the vote while Helmer garnered 12.5%.[3] [4]
In 2017, one of Helmer's campaign videos titled "Helmer Zone" went viral, reaching number four on the YouTube trending list within 24 hours. The video, in which Helmer spoofed the film "Top Gun" and sang "You've Lost That Centrist Feeling", garnered mixed reactions.[5]
Helmer had been an early and vocal proponent of impeaching president Donald Trump. Another of Helmer's campaign ads sparked controversy by saying, "After 9/11, the greatest threat to our democracy lived in a cave (Osama bin Laden). Today, he lives in the White House (Donald Trump)."[6] The ad faced bipartisan critism from the Trump administration as, "nothing short of reprehensible" as well as from Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.[7]
In 2019, Helmer was the Democratic nominee for Virginia's 40th House of Delegates district. He ran against Republican incumbent Tim Hugo, who had been in office since 2003. The race broke Virginia's fundraising record for a House of Delegates election, with Hugo and Helmer raising a combined $3.6 million. Helmer won with 52% of the vote.[8] After winning reelection in 2021 to the 40th, Helmer represents Virginia's 10th House of Delegates district following his reelection in 2023 to the 10th when redistricting occurred.
In 2021, Helmer's Republican opponent, Harold Pyon, distributed a campaign mailer to homes in the 40th district, which featured Helmer at a table piled with gold coins. Helmer, who is Jewish, said in the mailer, his nose was also accentuated and his West Point military insignia was removed from his jacket. He claimed the flier exhibited "antisemitic tropes" which distracted from talking about the issues. Pyon's spokesman claimed the mailer was not antisemitic and could be used against any politician who raises taxes.[9] [10] An opinion article by The Washington Post editorial board claimed the mailer was paid for by the Virginia Republican Party. It also claimed "The antisemitism conveyed by Mr. Pyon's campaign mailer is classic and blatant. To claim that it was unintentional is to assert blind ignorance of history." While the article said "We have no reason to assume Mr. Pyon, a retired federal worker and former Army medic, is himself an antisemite," it claimed the mailer "fits a recent pattern among Virginia Republican candidates in this fall's legislative elections."[11] The opinion piece prompted responses from both candidates. Pyon issued a statement through his campaign, saying in part, "How dare The Washington Post Editorial Board make these assertions when I have spent my entire life working to bring communities of all faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds together, and to stand against discrimination of any kind; especially against members of the Jewish community." Helmer responded through his campaign, saying in part, "To have someone bring hate to our community. Use images like this, seek to divide us, is not what we deserve as leadership of the House of Delegates."[12]
In 2023, after redistricting caused Helmer's district to lose its Republican-leaning Prince William County part for areas in the more Democratic-leaning Fairfax County, the district was renumbered from the 40th to the 10th in the process, he sought to maintain his incumbency advantage by falsely claiming to be the incumbent of the newly added redistricted areas in targeted campaign mailers. According to The Washington Post, the campaign mailers looked liked they were on "official-looking letter[heads]", and stated that Helmer could assist voters with constituent issues "as your Delegate" when in fact their present delegates were tasked with those duties. Helmer's mailers caused confusion for voters with The Washington Post learning about them after being contacted by concerned citizens.[13] Helmer acknowledged the mailers in a statement to the Post, but he did not offer an apology for the confusion, stating that his office is ready to assist people outside his district.[13] Helmer's opponent, Marine Corps veteran James Thomas, denounced the false campaign mailers by stating that Helmer sought to claim incumbency over the new voters before the democratic process had even run its course.[13]
Helmer supports abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment, and eliminating taxes on menstrual hygiene products.[14]
Helmer supports universal background checks, banning high-capacity magazines and silencers, regulating private gun sales, and red-flag laws that law enforcement may use to temporarily remove firearms from persons deemed dangerous to themselves or others.[15] [16]
In May 2018, Helmer purchased a semi-automatic rifle, without a background check in under 10 minutes, at a gun show in Chantilly, Virginia. The video, produced by his campaign, was picked up by major news organizations such as The Hill, The Washington Post, and Vox.[17] In January 2020, Helmer introduced HB 567, a bill that would outlaw all indoor firing ranges in buildings with more than 50 employees in Virginia.[18] Also in January, when gun rights activists descended on Richmond, Chris Hurst and Helmer allowed students representing March for Our Lives to sleep in their Richmond offices in order to be able to participate in gun control advocacy.[19]
Helmer supports adding a public option to Medicare. In 2019, Tim Hugo, his Republican opponent, claimed that Helmer sought to abolish private insurance, which PolitiFact subsequently indicated was "mostly false."[20]
In 2021, Helmer and twelve other Democrats supported Lee J. Carter's attempt to repeal Virginia's right-to-work law.[21]
Helmer is a staunch opponent of Donald Trump. In May 2018, he compared Trump to Osama bin Laden, the perpetrator of the September 11 attacks and also called him the biggest threat to democracy.[22] [23]