82ND ANNUAL . . . lincoln day celebration sunday, april 25th at ymca

The Washington County G.O.P. Club has announced its 82nd Annual Lincoln Day Celebration will be held at the YMCA of the Ozarks on Sunday, April 25th, 2021 beginning at 1 p.m. Everyone will be welcome.

Tickets ($15 per person) are available from G.O.P. Club members throughout the County.

Among Guest Speakers will be: 3rd Dist. State Senator Elaine Gannon, 118th Dist. Missouri State Rep. Mike McGirl, and 144th Dist. Missouri State Rep. Chris Dinkins.

Elaine Gannon

3rd District Senator

Senator Elaine Gannon represents the seven counties that comprise the 3rd Senatorial District, including Iron, Reynolds, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Washington and part of Jefferson. She served four consecutive terms in the House of Representatives from 2012-2020.

Prior to her legislative duties, Rep. Gannon taught junior high physical education and coached in DeSoto public schools. She is a proud member of the NRA and attends First Baptist Church in DeSoto. She is a Board Member for the DeSoto School District as well as the Mercy Jefferson Hospital in Crystal City.

Senator Gannon graduated from Bismarck High School in 1971, earned an associate’s degree from Jefferson County Community College in 1973, a bachelor’s degree in education at Southeast Missouri State University in 1975 and a master’s degree in education from Southwest Missouri Baptist University in 1994. She is a staunch advocate for education and children.

Born in Bonne Terre and raised in Bismarck, Sen. Gannon currently resides in De Soto with her husband, Dennis. They have two sons, Andrew and Jason.

Mike McGirl

District 118 Rep.

Mike McGirl has been an area business person for over 30 years with his McGirl Accounting Office and Tax Service, located at Parkway Center in Potosi.

Mike served as the Washington County Collector for 24 years at the Courthouse in downtown Potosi.

McGirl was elected to the 118th District in 2018, serving Northern Washington County and part of Jefferson County. Mike was re-elected in 2020 and continues to serve on several committees in the House of Representatives including the Special Interim Committee on Oversight of Local Taxation as Vice-Chair; Financial Institutions; Local Government and Penisons.

Mike is a member of St. James Catholic Church, Rotary International, Elks Lodge, Knights of Columbus and local Chambers of Commerce.

Mike McGirl graduated with his accounting degree from College of the Ozarks in Hollister.

Mike and his wife Diane enjoy their children and grandchildren.

Chris Dinkins

District 144 Rep.

Chris Dinkins is a small business owner and re-elected State Rep. Dinkins has had an active role in state and local republican politics for more than a decade serving as a co-founder of the Iron County GOP Club, Field Director for the House Republican Campaign Committee, Missouri Republican Party State Committeewoman, among numerous other roles and positions.

Prior to her election, she had served as Legislative Assistant for Representative Fitzwater. Dinkins served as a public school teacher for more than 17 years.  Born and raised in Wayne County, Dinkins now resides in Iron County with her husband where they are both members of the Happy Zion General Baptist Church of Annapolis.

A Bit Of History

By John M. Robinson, III,

Chairman – Washington County

Central Committee

Lincoln Day is the primary annual celebration event in many states and counties of the Republican Party. It is generally held in the February through April time frame depending on the county and often features well known speakers and guests from the Republican Party. The event was traditionally named after Abraham Lincoln, who was the first elected president of the Republican Party.

Washington County records reflect that Washington County Republicans held the popular Lincoln Day rallies and dinners as far back as 1938. The rallies and dinners were sponsored by the Washington County Central Committee and the Washington County Young Republicans Clubs (1930’s & 1950’s) and were held at various schools and halls around the county.