HAYDEN J EMRAH
WZBD
Last week, the Adams County Republican Party hosted its annual Lincoln Day Gala Dinner to generate awareness for the upcoming May Primary and 2024 election in November. Hosted at the Mirage in Decatur, the night saw prominent members of Indiana’s GOP–ranging from running candidates, local and state officials and media personalities–all in attendance to show their support for the party and to listen to what potential candidates had to say.
The night started off as people gathered around and had a chance to catch up and speak with one-another. In the VIP area, Micah Beckwith, candidate for Lt. Governor and master of ceremonies for the night, took the podium to kick off the event.
“Thank you all for being here, my name is Micah Beckwith, I am going to be the emcee tonight, so it’s going to be an honor to be with you all,” stated Beckwith to start off the event.
The VIP segment continued as guest speakers were introduced by Beckwith to say a few words, including prominent radio host Pat Miller, former Attorney General and current candidate for Governor Curtis Hill, and Lt. Col. Jennifer-Ruth Green. Each guest spoke for a few minutes on matters related to their role in GOP politics and their beliefs, as well as providing VIP guests insight on the Republican Party’s goals for the election.
Speaking on the importance of the event before it started, Indiana State Treasurer Daniel Elliot spoke about his attendance, “I used to be county chair myself, so for me, it’s really important to support our communities. I live and grew up in rural Indiana, so it’s especially important for me to come to our rural communities.”
After the VIP segment of the night, attention was turned to the main stage as hundreds of guests filled the banquet hall. The main event started with an introduction of all the county, district, and statewide officials who were in attendance and/or running for their respective offices. As their names were announced, they ran out of the VIP area and to their seats, with a round of applause and a line of Adams County GOP signs held by volunteers to accompany them. Following the introductions, there was a prayer by Rev. Mike Wertenberger, and the pledge of allegiance by Brilea Caldwell and Lt. Col. Jennifer-Ruth Green.
The night followed with an appearance from the multiple state officials in attendance, including State Treasurer Daniel Elliott, State Comptroller Elise Nieshalla, and Secretary of State Diego Morales, who each gave remarks on their efforts to improve the state and the GOP’s values. This was then followed by dinner.
The night continued after the dinner, including a recognition of the event sponsors. One of the most memorable points of the night was when Adams County GOP Chairman Steve Justus shared a Valentine’s Day post from State Representative Goss-Reeves, who was in attendance, regarding her father’s service in Vietnam.
“Today and everyday I honor my dad. A man of principle who loved me and my mom with his whole heart, mind, and soul,” read part of the heartfelt post.
The main attraction for the event however was the keynote presentation from Whitney Yates, Newsmax correspondent and Director of Diversity and Engagement for the Indiana Republican Party. In her presentation, she spoke of her struggles in life and how they helped shape her ability to overcome those obstacles, as well as how they affirmed her political beliefs. Her presentation ended with a call to action, emploring attendees to take direct action to be the change they seek in politics.
Yates spoke about her message after the event, saying, “from the scripture to the veterans’ hallelujah, from my speech to [Judi Merkel’s] speech, I think it was phenomenal. There was a call to action and a call to leadership.”
The night ended with remarks from Adams County Republican Vice Chair Judi Merkel, the announcement of winners of the silent auction, and a closing song from Micah and Susan Beckwith. Overall, the night was a success in the words of organizers and attendees alike, many of whom commented on the high turnout for the evening.
The 2024 Lincoln Day Dinner Gala was an opportunity to generate awareness for candidates, discuss insights and trends within the Republican Party, and to overall celebrate the GOP and its values.
State Representative Matt Lehman, who represents Adams, most of Wells and the northern part of Jay County, summarized the night by saying, “The republican party in Adams county is very strong, I think there’s a lot of work that we can still do, and I think we’re well positioned to send conservative people to the statehouse and to congress this year.”