Paul Quinn is a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 member of the Missouri House of Representatives

Missouri House of Representatives

The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...

. Quinn represents the 9th District, encompassing all or parts of Audrain

Audrain County, Missouri

Audrain County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 25,529. Its county seat is Mexico. The county was organized in 1836. Audrain County was named for Col. James Hunter Audrain. Col. Audrain was Colonel of militia in the War of 1812. In 1830 Col...

, Boone

Boone County, Missouri

Boone County is a county centrally located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the eighth most populous county in Missouri. In 2010, the population was 162,642. Its county seat, Columbia, is the fifth largest city in Missouri and the anchor city of the Columbia Metropolitan Area.-History:Boone...

, Chariton

Chariton County, Missouri

Chariton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 8,438. Its county seat is Keytesville. The county was organized in 1820 from part of Howard County and was named from the Chariton River.-History:...

, Howard and Monroe counties. He was first elected to the Missouri House in 2006.

Personal history

Paul Quinn was born in Hannibal, Missouri

Hannibal, Missouri

Hannibal is a city in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Hannibal is located at the intersection of Interstate 72 and U.S. Routes 24, 36 and 61, approximately northwest of St. Louis. According to the 2010 U.S. Census the population was 17,606...

 and raised in Monroe County. He engaged in farming for over thirty years before entering politics fulltime, and still resides on the family farm near Monroe City

Monroe City, Missouri

Monroe City is a city in Marion, Monroe, and Ralls counties in the US state of Missouri. The population was 2,588 at the 2000 census.The Marion and Ralls County portions of Monroe City are part of the Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

. A widower, Paul Quinn and his wife Judy raised nine children. One daughter, Sarah (Quinn) Deien is a longtime reporter and morning news anchor for KHQA-TV Hannibal/Quincy

KHQA-TV

KHQA-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-States area of Western Illinois, Northeastern Missouri, and extreme Southeastern Iowa. It is licensed to Hannibal, Missouri. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 7 from a transmitter northeast of Quincy, Illinois...

. Quinn is a member of St. Stephens Indian Creek Church. St. Stephens Knights of Columbus, and the Missouri Farmers Union.

Political history

Prior to entering state politics Paul Quinn served as Monroe County Assessor, and as a Monroe County Commissioner for twelve years. Quinn was first elected to the Missouri House in 2006, first beating fellow Democrat Ewell Lawson in tbe August primary, then defeating Republican Kathyrne Harper in November to succeed Wes Shoemyer

Wes Shoemyer

Wes Shoemyer is a former Senator for the eighteenth district of the Missouri Senate. The district includes all or portions of thirteen counties in northeast Missouri: Adair, Audain, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Schuyler, Scotland, and Shelby.-Personal:Shoemyer was...

. Rep. Quinn ran unopposed for reelection in both 2008 and 2010. Under Missouri term limit law Rep. Quinn is allowed to run for a final two-year term in 2012.

Legislative assignments

During the 96th General Assembly Rep. Quinn will serve on the following committees:

• Administration and Accounts
• Agriculture Policy
• Appropriations - Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommitee
• Corrections
• Local Government
• Joint Committee on Government Accountability