Democrat to challenge Crowell for seat

Ellen Dillon has been a peace activist, a speech and communications instructor and a goodwill ambassador doing performances in Russia, Siberia, Jamaica and China.

On Monday, Dillon said she's ready for a new role -- Democratic candidate for state Senate. Dillon, an instructor with the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Communications, hopes to unseat state Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, in the six-county 27th Senate District.

Dillon, 49, is married to Southeast Missouri State University theater and dance professor Rob Dillon. They have two children, daughter Ceci Dillon, a sophomore at Central High School, and Jeremy Dillon, a sophomore at Southeast.

The state is moving the wrong direction under Republicans, Dillon said. In 2005, the GOP won simultaneous control of the Missouri House, the state Senate and the governor's mansion for the first time since the 1920s.

"I feel there are voices not being heard right now, and I was tired of complaining," Dillon said. "I thought I need to get out and do something."

The two most pressing areas for attention are health care and education, Dillon said. The legislature -- at Gov. Matt Blunt's urging -- cut eligibility to remove 170,000 people from Medicaid rolls in 2005. Lawmakers passed a bill overhauling the Medicaid program, but the changes did not restore benefits for many of those cut previously.

"You cannot consider these people a budget cut," Dillon said. "This isn't how we should be running a government."

Dillon also said the state is failing to adequately support public schools. The extra burdens of the federal No Child Left Behind Act and other expansions of the duties of the schools require a significant new investment, she said.

Blunt's administration has touted the addition of more than $500 million to school funding in three years.

Along with the Republican-led policies, Dillon said Crowell has been a disappointment as a lawmaker. His close relationship with House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill -- Crowell pays Jetton $1,000 a month for political consulting services -- is ethically questionable, she said.

"I think that maybe our politicians, and Jason is not an exception, they are continuing to look out for No. 1, and in some of these cases the constituency is not No. 1, instead it is the senator himself," Dillon said.

In reply, Crowell said he has worked with the Republican leadership to keep taxes low as well as provide a funding boost and new distribution formula for school aid that gave additional money to Cape Girardeau and Sikeston schools for the first time in 12 years.

"That is the representation I have given Southeast Missouri for seven sessions and will continue to do so in the future," Crowell said.

Crowell begins the race with a proven political track record -- he's won contested races with at least 58 percent of the vote -- and a large campaign treasury, which stood at $132,079 as of Sept. 30. Dillon formed her campaign committee Oct. 17.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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