DANVILLE — Hendricks County Republicans are gearing up for next November’s election with a fundraising dinner Jan. 15 at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds and Conference Complex.
The annual Ronald Reagan Dinner starts at 6 p.m. This year’s event features WIBC talk show host Greg Garrison.
“We’re pretty excited about that,” said Michael O’Brien, chairman of the Hendricks GOP. “Obviously with everything going on in Washington right now — the expansion of the federal government and other things that are giving people like Garrison heartburn — we’re excited to have one of the leading conservative voices in central Indiana.”
A VIP reception with Garrison starts at 6 p.m. Dinner follows at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each or $45 for both. Proceeds from the VIP reception benefit the Hendricks County Young Republicans.
O’Brien says county Republicans conduct two dinners annually.
“Along with our golf outing, they’re our main fundraisers,” he said. “In the off years it’s the way we bank money in anticipation of the election years, when we spend a lot.”
Some prominent offices are up for grabs in the county come November. They include commissioner for District 1, the council seats for districts 1 through 4, and sheriff. O’Brien says two Republicans have already declared their candidacy for the board of commissioners and one or two others are considering running for the office.
The GOP continues to enjoy a strong presence in Hendricks County. Hendricks represented the second highest voter turnout for Republicans in Indiana in the 2008 election. GOP incumbents on the county council and board of commissioners easily won re-election while many other Republicans on the ballot ran unopposed. This despite the fact that Democratic President Barack Obama won the state — the first time Indiana went blue since electing Lyndon Johnson in 1964. However, Hendricks County voters overwhelmingly voted for Republican presidential candidate John McCain in 2008.
O’Brien credits Obama campaigning in Republican strongholds around the state, including Hendricks County, in part for his Indiana victory.
“A lot of that was just an anti-Bush mood that was prevalent throughout the country,” he said as a way of explaining the whipping Republicans took on a national level in that election. “But a lot of people aren’t getting what they signed up for. I think they thought they were going to get a moderate interested in solving their problems. What we got was a liberal partisan.”
Now he says he’s hearing from a lot of upset citizens.
“I recently got a call from someone who’s really upset with (Indiana Sen. Evan) Bayh and how he voted on the health care bill,” O’Brien said. “I get those types of calls from new people who want to know how to get involved. We’re hoping that will translate into good attendance at the dinner and more volunteers.”
Tickets for the Ronald Reagan Dinner will be available at the door or may be purchased online at www.hendrickscountygop.com. Reservations must be made by e-mailing to rsvp@hendrickscountygop.com.
wade.coggeshall@flyergroup.com
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