Put Ronald Reagan on a $50 bill? That’s what one Gaston lawmaker wants.

There’s a new Republican rallying cry: Mint one for the Gipper.

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry on Tuesday said he would introduce legislation to replace Ulysses S. Grant with Ronald Reagan on the $50 bill. A conservative icon, Reagan resonates with local residents who say the Great Communicator is deserving of such a permanent honor.

“You could put him on every bill as far as I’m concerned,” said Gastonia resident J.A. Dalpiaz. “He’s far above the $50. I would put him on the $1,000 bill, even though we don’t make them anymore.”

Dalpiaz was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1976 and 1980 and worked on Reagan’s presidential campaign in 1980 and 1984. During his presidency, Reagan appointed Dalpiaz to the executive board of the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he represented the Southeastern states.

Like many Republican stalwarts, Dalpiaz ranks Reagan among the greatest American leaders. The former actor and California governor has become a symbol for small-government conservatives.

“I can’t think of a greater American or a greater person in my lifetime,” Dalpiaz said. “He epitomizes what America was all about. He rejuvenated this country.”

McHenry, who represents the 10th U.S. House District, called Reagan a “modern-day statesman” and said his bill, H.R. 4705, would help cement the Gipper’s legacy as one of the most influential and well-respected American presidents.

“Every generation needs its own heroes,” McHenry said in a news release. “One decade into the 21st century, it’s time to honor the last great president of the 20th and give President Reagan a place beside Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy.”

The Republican congressman from Cherryville noted that presidential scholars place Reagan ahead of Grant in historical rankings. Reagan rated sixth and Grant 29th in a 2005 Wall Street Journal poll of bipartisan scholars.

Cliff Priest, chairman of the Gaston County Republican Party, said he supports the effort to add Reagan’s likeness to the $50 bill. He said today’s soaring taxes and slumping economy make many long for the Reaganomics of the 1980s.

“He emboldens the conservative movement,” Priest said. “He is who we look to in modern times with smaller government, less spending and lower taxes.”

Priest grew up during the Reagan era and credits the president with bringing him into the Republican Party. A Reagan license plate frame and bumper stickers adorn his car, so why not the Gipper’s face on his money?

“I think it would be a great tribute,” Priest said.

From conservatives’ standpoint, the only drawback to the new currency would be Republican reluctance to spend it.

“I’m afraid I’d want to take them all off the market and put them in my safety deposit box,” Dalpiaz said. “He’s like a saint in the Republican Party. We’d keep them as a memento.”

You can reach Corey Friedman at 704-869-1828.