Mark Parkinson (Missouri politician)
Mark A. Parkinson | |
|---|---|
| File:Markparkinson.jpg | |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 16th district | |
| Assumed office 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Carl Bearden |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 30, 1972 Saint Charles, Missouri |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Brigit Parkinson |
| Residence | Saint Charles, Missouri |
| Profession | Politician |
| Website | www.markparkinson.org |
Mark A. Parkinson (born October 30, 1972) is a Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives, representing the 16th district (St. Charles County).
Personal life
Background and Education
Parkinson is a St. Charles city native, graduating from Francis Howell High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Saint Louis University in 2000. He is married to Brigit Parkinson, who he dated since high school.
Group Memberships
Parkinson holds lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association, and is also a member of Ducks Unlimited, Missouri Right to Life, and the National Park Foundation. In the St. Charles area, Parkinson is a member of the St. Charles chapter of the Pachyderms, a Republican social club.
Political career
Pre-Elected Career
In 2000, Parkinson began working for the St. Louis office of United States Senator Kit Bond. During his time with Bond, he eventually became the deputy district director of the St. Louis office, overseeing that office's constituent relations and constituent outreach programs. Among other responsibilities, Parkinson coordinated and conducted Bond's "Listening Post" program, holding local question-and-answer sessions across 17 counties in northeast Missouri.[1]
Prior to his role with Bond, Parkinson also worked closely with the St. Louis Senate office of then-U.S. Senator and future U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Elected Career and Legislation
In 2007, Parkinson announced his intention to run for the 16th district state representative seat vacated by Carl Bearden, and was selected by the local Republican legislative committee to run as the party's candidate.[2] Due to the nature of the election, there was no primary, and Parkinson faced Democrat Tom Fann in a special election held on the same day as Missouri's 2008 presidential primary. Despite over 500 more Democratic primary ballots being drawn, Parkinson won by 3%, and was sworn in on February 26, 2008.
Despite Parkinson's shortened timeframe during his first term, he sponsored immigration reform legislation that was eventually incorporated into an omnibus immigration bill and signed by governor Matt Blunt.[3][4] For his work on this issue, he was recognized as one of the freshmen legislators of the year.
Parkinson was reelected in November 2008. During the 2009 session of the Missouri General Assembly, Parkinson has sponsored legislation dealing with immigration reform, property tax reform, tax deductions for homeschooling families, truth in sentencing legislation, and other issues.[5]
Committee Assignments
During the 2008 legislative session, Parkinson was a member of committees dealing with tax reform, financial institutions, and transportation, also serving on the joint transportation oversight committee. Parkinson currently serves on the following committees in the 2009 legislative session:
- International Trade and Immigration (Vice-Chair);
- Fiscal Review;
- Homeland Security; and
- Special Committee on General Laws[6]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Parkinson | 8,776 | 66.5 | ||
| Democratic | Debbie Bixler | 4,414 | 33.5 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Parkinson | 10,366 | 53.1 | ||
| Democratic | Kristy Manning | 9,171 | 46.9 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mark Parkinson | 5,139 | 51.6 | ||
| Democratic | Tom Fann | 4,824 | 48.4 | ||
References
- ^ Official Missouri House of Representatives biography-Retrieved March 25, 2009
- ^ InBrief (St. Charles County Suburban Journal), Sept. 15, 2007-Retrieved March 25, 2009
- ^ Missouri House Bill 2366 (2008)
- ^ Missouri House Bills 1549, 1771, 1395, and 2366 (2008)
- ^ Sponsored and co-sponsored legislation-Retrieved March 25, 2009
- ^ Official Missouri House of Representatives profile-Retrieved March 25, 2009
- ^ Missouri Secretary of State Election Archives-November 2, 2010 General Election-District 16-Retrieved November 16, 2010
- ^ Missouri Secretary of State Election Archives-November 4, 2008 General Election-District 16-Retrieved March 25, 2009
- ^ Missouri Secretary of State Election Archives-February 5, 2008 Special Election-District 16-Retrieved March 25, 2009
External links
- Official Missouri House of Representatives profile for Mark Parkinson
- Campaign Website
- Official Website(built by outside sources)(still in progress)