Elaine Gannon

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Elaine Gannon
Member of the Missouri Senate
from the 3rd district
Assumed office
January 6, 2021
Preceded byGary Romine
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
from the 115th district
In office
January 9, 2013 – January 6, 2021
Preceded byJoseph Fallert Jr. (redistricting)
Succeeded byCyndi Buchheit-Courtway
Personal details
Born (1953-02-02) February 2, 1953 (age 71)
Bonne Terre, Missouri
Political partyRepublican
SpouseDennis
Children2
ResidenceDe Soto, Missouri
ProfessionTeacher

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]

Missouri State Senate[edit]

Elected 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[edit]

Gannon 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[edit]

She was born in Bonne Terre, and lives in De Soto, Missouri, with her husband, Dennis.

Electoral history[edit]

State representative[edit]

Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 6, 2012, District 115[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Elaine Freeman Gannon 6,909 50.86%
Democratic Rich McCane 6,676 49.14%
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 4, 2014, District 115[7]
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
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 8, 2016, District 115[7]
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
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 6, 2018, District 115[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Elaine Freeman Gannon 10,598 100.00% +31.36

State Senate[edit]

Missouri's 3rd State Senate District, Republican Primary, August 4, 2020[7]
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
Missouri's 3rd State Senate District, General Election, November 3, 2020[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Elaine Gannon 65,686 100%
Republican hold

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Elaine Gannon". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved April 27, 2015.
  2. ^ "Missouri House of Representatives". Archived from the original on 2016-09-27. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "GOP Lawmaker Asks 14-Year-Old Trans Kid If They're Getting the 'Procedure'". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "All Results; Election Results". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved April 20, 2020.

External links[edit]

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