State lawmaker Chris Dinkins mulls seeking Senate seat held by Thompson Rehder

Calling herself a "constitutional conservative Republican", state House Rep. Chris Dinkins of Lesterville, Missouri, has launched an exploratory committee for a possible 2024 run for state Senate District 27.

Incumbent GOP Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City announced July 11 she will run for lieutenant governor next year.

Dinkins, 55, is chairwoman of the House Republican Caucus and told the Southeast Missourian she is testing the political waters.

"I want to see if there is support in District 27 for a small-business owner with a strong conservative record. I'm going to go out and talk to people and see if this is the direction I need to go or stay where I am in the House," Dinkins said.

The lawmaker was first elected in 2018 to House District 144 and represents constituents in seven counties: Bollinger, Iron, Madison, Reynolds, Shannon, Wayne and Washington.

Dinkins and her family own and operate Twin Rivers Landing, a campsite and float outfitter along the Black River in Reynolds County.

Issues

• State surplus. Dinkins said the surplus is large and is as large as $6 billion.

"The surplus is quite large and since we have collected more than we need in government coffers, I think we have an obligation to return this money to (state residents)," she said.

• Candidate field. "I expect a really large primary, probably four or five people, and only one person has officially announced so far," Dinkins said, referring to military veteran Jacob Turner.
• Atmosphere. "There's a lot of polarization in our state and our country. As a vocal (Donald) Trump supporter, I was called all sorts of names during the last election," she added, noting if the former president wins the GOP nomination next year, she'll support him.

"I liked Trump's policies and appreciate the way he ran the economy. We were a lot better off during his years in office than we are under (President Joe) Biden. I have so many people call my office every day who are struggling in the current economic climate."

• Accomplishments. "I worked with Sen. Thompson Rehder to get a vital records bill where victims of domestic violence who sometimes have to flee their houses in the middle of the night with the clothes on their back can get a birth certificate. You can't open a bank account in your name without one. I also supported the teacher retirement bill and mining royalties legislation."
• Stopping bad bills. "I know a lot of people say Democrats aren't trying to take away our guns but come to Jefferson City sometime because there's not one day when somebody isn't trying to take away some form of our rights when it comes to the Second Amendment. I will work against a lot of legislation that's opposed to conservative values."

Dinkins and her husband, Dave, have two sons and three grandchildren.

She holds degrees from Twin Rivers College, Central Methodist University and Webster University.