Elaine Gannon (born February 2, 1953) is an American politician. She is a member of the Missouri Senate, representing District 3. She is also a former member of the Missouri House of Representatives, having served from 2013 to 2021. She is a member of the Republican Party.[1][2]
Elaine Gannon | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Missouri Senate from the 3rd district | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Gary Romine |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 115th district | |
| In office January 9, 2013 – January 6, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Fallert Jr. (redistricting) |
| Succeeded by | Cyndi Buchheit-Courtway |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 2, 1953 Bonne Terre, Missouri |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dennis |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | De Soto, Missouri |
| Profession | Teacher |
Missouri State Senate
editElected in 2020, she preceded fellow Republican Gary Romine, after serving eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives.
Committee assignments
edit- Education
- General Laws
- Progress and Development
- Seniors, Families, Veterans and Military Affairs, Vice-Chairwoman
- Joint Committee on Education
- Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect
- Joint Committee on Legislative Research
- Missouri Assistive Technology Advisory Council
Views and response
editGannon sponsored a measure for Senate consideration in December 2022, which was aimed at extending Medicaid health insurance coverage for low-income mothers, from the current sixty days to twelve months following the birth of a baby. Bipartisan efforts to increase postnatal coverage for low-income families have been ongoing, with two bills failing earlier in 2022.[3]
In another bipartisan position, Gannon spoke against the actions of a group of Republican senators. The men, calling themselves the "Conservative Caucus", were blocking debate and delaying procedures to adopt a new congressional map. The redistricting was a bipartisan proposal which had already passed the house, but the Conservative Caucus faction obstructed action on it for several days. Speaking as part of a group of bipartisan women senators who were critical of the hardliner's intransigence and dominance of the debate, Gannon noted: "I think it's time that we the women of the Senate say what we want to say".[4]
During a March, 2022, Senate Education committee hearing, Gannon attracted negative attention when she asked a 14-year-old witness, who identified as transgender and non-binary: "Are you going to go through the procedure?". The enquiry caused "an eruption of shouts", according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and "audible groans", according to Vice News. She was also criticized for her approach throughout the hearing, where she used expressions such as "he-she" in referring to transgender persons. The Senator later apologized for the inappropriate question. The teenage witness and the parent of the 14-year-old were critical of both Gannon and the hearing, which had been called to hear views on the proposed "Save Women's Sports Act". The bill would restrict children's access to sporting activity, disallowing participation in competitions by individuals whose assigned-sex at birth differs from the sex designated for the sporting activity.[5][6]
Personal life
editShe was born in Bonne Terre, and lives in De Soto, Missouri, with her husband, Dennis.
Electoral history
editState representative
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Elaine Freeman Gannon | 6,909 | 50.86% | ||
| Democratic | Rich McCane | 6,676 | 49.14% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Elaine Freeman Gannon | 5,055 | 63.89% | +13.03 | |
| Democratic | Dan Darian | 2,473 | 31.26% | −17.88 | |
| Constitution | Jerry Dollar Jr. | 384 | 4.85% | +4.85 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Elaine Freeman Gannon | 10,110 | 68.64% | +4.75 | |
| Democratic | Barbara Stocker | 3,972 | 26.97% | −4.29 | |
| Libertarian | Charles D. Bigelow | 646 | 4.39% | +4.39 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Elaine Freeman Gannon | 10,598 | 100.00% | +31.36 | |
State Senate
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Elaine Gannon | 10,646 | 42.09% | N/A | |
| Republican | Joshua Barrett | 9,211 | 36.42% | N/A | |
| Republican | Kent Scism | 5,437 | 21.49% | N/A | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Elaine Gannon | 65,686 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
edit- ^ "Elaine Gannon". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
- ^ "Missouri House of Representatives". Archived from the original on 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ^ Erickson, Kurt (December 6, 2022). "Bipartisan effort underway to extend health coverage for new moms in Missouri". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on December 24, 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ Suntrup, Jack (February 9, 2022). "Frustration mounts in Missouri Senate as hard-liners block redistricting action for third day". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ "GOP Lawmaker Asks 14-Year-Old Trans Kid If They're Getting the 'Procedure'". www.vice.com. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ^ Zokovitch, Grace (March 2, 2022). "Trans athlete bill up for debate again among Missouri lawmakers". St Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f "All Results; Election Results". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
External links
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