Helen Milenski

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Helen Milenski

Libertarian Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Associate

University of New Mexico at Los Alamos, 2016

Personal

Birthplace

Columbus, Kan.

Religion

Episcopalian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Helen Milenski (Libertarian Party) ran for election to the New Mexico House of Representatives to represent District 45. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Milenski completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Helen Milenski was born in Columbus, Kansas. She earned her A.S. in pre-engineering from the University of New Mexico at Los Alamos in May 2016.

Elections

2020

See also: New Mexico House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 45

Incumbent Linda Serrato defeated Helen Milenski in the general election for New Mexico House of Representatives District 45 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Linda Serrato (D)	82.8	11,297
		Helen Milenski (L)	17.2	2,339

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,636
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 45

Incumbent Linda Serrato defeated Lisa Martinez, Patrick Varela, Carmichael Dominguez, and Yolanda Sena in the Democratic primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 45 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Linda Serrato	33.2	2,087
	Submit photo	Lisa Martinez	23.6	1,486
	Submit photo	Patrick Varela	23.0	1,446
	Submit photo	Carmichael Dominguez	15.5	973
	Submit photo	Yolanda Sena	4.7	297

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,289
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 45

Helen Milenski advanced from the Libertarian primary for New Mexico House of Representatives District 45 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Helen Milenski	100.0	22

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Helen Milenski completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Milenski's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was raised here in the district I am running for. My family moved here when I was thirteen and I attended St. Michael's High School for two years, before graduating from Los Alamos High School.

While raising my family I worked for the Department of Public Safety, the New Mexico Corrections Department, and an engineering company, Merrick, in Los Alamos. I now work for Los Alamos National Laboratory/Triad, as a Lab Technician.

I attended UNM-Los Alamos and earned an Associate of Science in Pre-Engineering. My daughter's say I inspired them. I now have one daughter attending UNM in Los Alamos, and another daughter attending Eastern New Mexico University.

My husband, Scott Milenski, and I recently purchased a home a few blocks from my parents in Santa Fe.

My Grandfather was a native of Kansas, but loved Santa Fe and is buried in the National Cemetery on the north end of town.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am first a local concerned citizen who wants to serve my community and my state.
• I believe that being too tied to political party agendas can blind politicians to the needs of the people they serve.
• I am socially liberal, fiscally conservative, and politically balanced. This is what we need now, more than ever.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am gravely concerned with having a responsible budget for our state. I am passionate about encouraging small business and diversifying our economy. I want to sensibly reduce government spending while protecting our most needed services.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember my mother crying when John Lennon was killed. I think that was the first instance when I associated what I saw in TV as having a direct relationship with my life. I was 6 at the time.

I have since been witness to a lot of historic events. I saw the Challenger explosion, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War, and the rise and fall of Apartheid in South Africa. All those events and more stirred a passion for civic involvement as I was young.

Events like the tragedy of 9/11, the election of the first black person to the office of President of the United States, and the federal recognition of the right to same sex marriage are all indelible events that encourage me in my desire to serve a roll in my state legislature.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Corn Dog 7 in the Villa Linda Mall, in the same district I happen to be running for office in. I had that job for one summer while I was attending St. Michael's High School in Santa Fe. I left that job to work a different job as a clerk at Things Remembered, which was a kiosk that sold mementos and did engraving.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I am an avid reader of all types and genres.

I love Pema Chodron's book, "When Things Fall Apart", for non-fiction.
I love all Jack Kerouac.
I most recently read "Circe", by Madaline Miller. And yes, I loved it!

The 'why' varies, but usually if I like a book it is because it speaks to a greater truth beyond just being entertaining.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would like to think that I would be strong enough to be Katniss Everdeen, but as a fictional character she holds that bar very high. I like strong female characters in both fiction and real life. I can admire strength even if I disagree on issues.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

I have been listening to "Backbone", by Kaleo.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

The State of New Mexico has two legislative chambers that serve different roles. As a State Representative my role would be to review and create bills that serve the interest of the public in matters of policy, taxes, and state budget. I and my fellow State Representatives would debate, formally and in committee, the different aspects of the laws on which we would vote. If passed the bill would then be passed to the Senate portion of the Legislature for more scrutiny and debate. Perhaps the most important aspect of the House of Representatives is the role it serves in accepting or declining the Governor's vetoes. Because of the serious nature of the duties involved, each Representative needs to have good communication and recognition within their district.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

While anyone wishing to hold a seat in the legislature needs to have a firm grasp on the civic duties involved, I believe it is more critical that a public servant, such as a State Representative must have a keen ability to understand the needs of the people they serve. Often times long standing political affiliations, career aspirations, and the business of continuous election cycles detract from the work in takes to really serve the constituency. Simply put, sometimes the business of being a politician gets in the way of being a servant to the people. Therefore, I believe that being a newcomer can revitalize and refocus the attention where it needs to be. Having experience as a career politician can cloud the issues at hand with party politics and obscure the needs of the citizen.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our states biggest challenge immediately is going to be stabilizing our economy while simultaneously navigating the risk from the Covid-19 pandemic. As a State Representative my primary task will be centered on passing a balanced budget during the next January session. This will be an odd numbered year which means we will face a long session and a lot of debate and review of proposed bills in addition to the fiscal matters that will be so pressing.

The legislature you elect this November will not be the agencies preparing the proposed budget, but they will be the people tasked with scrutinizing, debating, and voting for a balanced budget. The next budget session will have a drastically reduced revenue to work with, compared to the one the people making proposals have ever experienced. Sadly, some projects, while hopeful and of good cause will have to be weighed against critical funding that impacts people most at risk financially in our state. It will take a keen eye that is attuned to the needs of the average citizen to be able to represent the will of the people against the wants of politics.

Every decision and every action of legislation has a purpose and consequence that may or may not be intended. Having the burden of political agenda can sorely flaw the scrutiny we as citizens need right now.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

As a Libertarian as well as within my nature, I feel that I am well equipped to bridge the gap between Republican and Democrat ideology and serve as a link to aid momentum where party politics makes gridlock. I believe that it is not only beneficial, but essential to the activity of serving the constituency.

The public is not merely of one mind, or belief, and yet as a State Representative we are called to serve all of the public. It takes a person of solid character to have an open mind. It takes an open mind to build relationships that can work together for a common goal.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I would be interested in serving on either the Commerce and Economic Development Committee, or the Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. I would enjoy serving on both if possible, but I would be glad to accept appointment to any of the committees available. They all serve their purpose and are well engaged on behalf of the needs of the people.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

I would truly desire to aid in my party's leadership in the legislature. If elected I would be, perhaps among, the first of the Libertarian Party elected to the State Representatives in New Mexico. I have served in a leadership role within the Libertarian Party as two different county affiliate chairpersons as well as serving as the State Vice-Chair of the Libertarian Party of New Mexico. I am currently elected to be a delegate to the Libertarian National Convention, and engage regularly as a leader and spokesperson for the Libertarian Party.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No. I am not interested in a protracted political career. I want to serve my state and my district, but I am not interested in holding public office indefinitely into the future.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I will not disclose details that would be identifiable, but suffice it to say that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a far greater impact than I believe the current political climate is able to identify with, both in health hardships as well as economically. This was not what prompted me to serve, but it is what encourages me to do my part if elected or not.

You don't have to have an office or a title to be a leader or to serve. Lots of people have risen to the challenge in my community and I applaud them for all they are doing.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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Footnotes

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Current members of the New Mexico House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Javier Martínez

Majority Leader:Reena Szczepanski

Minority Leader:Gail Armstrong

Representatives

District 1

Rodney Montoya (R)

District 2

Mark Duncan (R)

District 3

Bill Hall (R)

District 4

Joseph Hernandez (D)

District 5

Doreen Johnson (D)

District 6

Martha Garcia (D)

District 7

Tanya Mirabal Moya (R)

District 8

Brian Baca (R)

District 9

Patricia Lundstrom (D)

District 10

G. Romero (D)

District 11

Javier Martínez (D)

District 12

Art De La Cruz (D)

District 13

Patricia Caballero (D)

District 14

Miguel Garcia (D)

District 15

Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D)

District 16

Yanira Gurrola Valenzuela (D)

District 17

Cynthia Borrego (D)

District 18

Marianna Anaya (D)

District 19

Janelle Anyanonu (D)

District 20

Meredith Dixon (D)

District 21

Debra Sariñana (D)

District 22

Stefani Lord (R)

District 23

Alan Martinez (R)

District 24

Elizabeth Thomson (D)

District 25

Cristina Parajón (D)

District 26

Eleanor Chavez (D)

District 27

Marian Matthews (D)

District 28

Pamelya Herndon (D)

District 29

Joy Garratt (D)

District 30

Elizabeth Torres-Velasquez (D)

District 31

Nicole Chavez (R)

District 32

Jenifer Jones (R)

District 33

Micaela Lara Cadena (D)

District 34

Raymundo Lara (D)

District 35

Angelica Rubio (D)

District 36

Nathan Small (D)

District 37

Joanne Ferrary (D)

District 38

Rebecca Dow (R)

District 39

Luis Terrazas (R)

District 40

Joseph Sanchez (D)

District 41

Susan Herrera (D)

District 42

Kristina Ortez (D)

District 43

Christine Chandler (D)

District 44

Kathleen Cates (D)

District 45

Linda Serrato (D)

District 46

Andrea Romero (D)

District 47

Reena Szczepanski (D)

District 48

Tara Lujan (D)

District 49

Gail Armstrong (R)

District 50

Matthew McQueen (D)

District 51

John Block (R)

District 52

Doreen Gallegos (D)

District 53

Sarah Silva (D)

District 54

Jonathan Henry (R)

District 55

Cathrynn Brown (R)

District 56

Harlan Vincent (R)

District 57

Catherine Cullen (R)

District 58

Angelita Mejia (R)

District 59

Mark Murphy (R)

District 60

Joshua Hernandez (R)

District 61

Randall Pettigrew (R)

District 62

Elaine Sena Cortez (R)

District 63

Martin Ruben Zamora (R)

District 64

Andrea Reeb (R)

District 65

Derrick Lente (D)

District 66

Jimmy Mason (R)

District 67

Jack Chatfield (R)

District 68

Charlotte Little (D)

District 69

Michelle Abeyta (D)

District 70

Anita Gonzales (D)

Democratic Party (44)

Republican Party (26)