McConnell, Rogers headline Fifth District Lincoln Day Banquet

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers and U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell headlined the head table during the Fifth District Lincoln Day Banquet Saturday night, which was held at The Corbin Center.

For the first time since the pandemic area Republicans gathered Saturday at The Corbin Center for the 82^nd Annual Fifth-District Lincoln Day Banquet.

Nearly 400 people attended the sold-out Republican event with keynote speakers Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Congressman Hal Rogers, Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers.

“I’m incredibly proud of our Republicans in southern and eastern Kentucky for standing firm on their conservative values when we need it the most. We have witnessed one crisis after another as liberal extremists attempt to steer our country in the wrong direction, so we must get out the conservative vote this year,” Rogers said.

McConnell echoed similar sentiments.

“It was an honor to join the Fifth District Lincoln Club for their first banquet in two years and speak to the dedicated Republican leaders of Eastern and Southeastern Kentucky. This year’s elections are incredibly important, so it was heartening to witness so many Kentuckians gathered to defend the Commonwealth’s conservative principles,” said McConnell.

Four people were inducted into the Fifth District Lincoln Club Hall of Fame, including: Magoffin County’s Manuel Montgomery, Wayne County’s Conley Gregory, Floyd County’s Allison Ball and Laurel County’s Bill Deaton. They are seen with Rogers, who standing in the middle of the group.

New inductees

Each year, the Fifth District Lincoln Club honors men and women from across Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District who serve as tireless advocates for the conservative principles of the Republican party. Some well-known Hall of Fame inductees include Rogers, McConnell, and former U.S. Senator Jim Bunning.

“We’re honored to welcome four new inductees into the Fifth District Lincoln Club’s Hall of Fame. Thanks to their diligent work, we are continuing to see Republican registrations rise across the state,” Rogers said.

On Saturday, the following leaders were inducted into the club’s historic Hall of Fame: Conley Gregory, a Republican Party leader from Wayne County; Allison Ball, 38th Treasurer of Kentucky; Manuel Montgomery, Republican Chairman of Magoffin County; and Bill Deaton, long-time entrepreneur and Republican leader from Laurel County.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers posthumously presented the inaugural “Nancy Mitchell Women in Leadership Award” in memory Corbin’s Nancy Mitchell, who lost her battle to cancer last year. Her husband Bob, and daughter, Jenny, accepted the award.

Nancy Mitchell honored

This year, the club posthumously awarded the inaugural “Nancy Mitchell Women in Leadership Award” in memory Corbin’s Nancy Mitchell, who lost her battle to cancer last year.

Mitchell served as Vice-President of the Kentucky Federation of Republican Women, Vice-Chair of the Republican Party of Knox County, and was the first woman ever elected as a Corbin City Commissioner.

In 2012, Nancy Mitchell was inducted into the Fifth District Lincoln Club Hall of Fame alongside her husband, Bob Mitchell.

In addition, she also built her own successful business, the Mitchell Tax and Accounting Firm.

During the banquet, Rogers told the story of how Nancy Mitchell got a business loan from a bank to start her accounting business only to be told by the banking official that her husband needed to come by and co-sign. She informed the bank official that the loan was for “her” business, and went to a different bank.

Suffice it to say, when Bob got home from work that night, he was informed that the couple had switched banks.

Rogers noted that in the future, the award will go to other women in leadership positions throughout the Fifth District, but the club felt that it was fitting to present the inaugural award posthumously to Nancy Mitchell.

The award was presented to Bob Mitchell and the couple’s youngest daughter, Jenny.

“We are deeply honored to accept this award in Nancy’s memory. She brought so much joy to everyone that she was around, and she adamantly supported women in leadership,” said Bob Mitchell. “This award will allow her to continue inspiring women across the region.”

McConnell said that he was delighted to help honor Mitchell and the others.

“I was proud to welcome four new conservative leaders into the Fifth District Lincoln Club’s Hall of Fame and help pay tribute to the late Nancy Mitchell, whose hard work to promote the Republican Party in the Fifth District was unparalleled,” McConnell said.

Ky. Senate President Robert Stivers served as Master of Ceremonies.

State issues addressed

Keynote speakers addressed a number of state, national and international issues during their addresses.

Stivers noted that during the recent session of the Kentucky General Assembly, the Republican-led legislature gave 8 percent pay raises to all state employees, and made significant investments in infrastructure, such as water, sewer, broadband and roads.

Stivers said that during the recent legislative session Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed 30 bills and made 18 line item vetoes.

“It was a historic session with 48 veto overrides,” Stivers added. “The governor vetoed the abortion bill and we immediately overrode it.”

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers was one of the keynote speakers.

National issues addressed

The need for Republicans to regain control of both branches of Congress in Washington D.C. was a central theme of both Rogers and McConnell’s speeches.

Rogers said that 31 Democratic House of Representatives members have announced their retirements, which is the highest number in 30 years.

“I think they see the writing on the wall. I agree with Senator Stivers that we are going to make record gains in the house,” Rogers said.

McConnell noted that the biggest difference between being senate minority leader and senate majority leader is getting to set the agenda.

McConnell said that his most consequential decision as majority leader was blocking President Barack Obama from appointing a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia after his death. He then helped President Donald Trump to get three new U.S. Supreme Court justices appointed during his term in office cementing a 6-3 Republican majority on the Supreme Court.

With the U.S. Senate tied at 50 Republican senators and 50 Democrat senators McConnell promised that Republicans are working hard in this year’s election to pick up at least one additional senate seat in order to give them the majority.

“We are doing our very best and President (Joe) Biden is certainly helping,” he added.

McConnell described the Biden administration as soft on crime and noted that two major items on the minds of Americans are inflation and the wide open southern border.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was another keynote speaker.

Ukraine war

During his address, McConnell also addressed the war in Ukraine calling president Volodymyr Zelenskyy an “absolute inspiration to the rest of the world.”

“Vladimir Putin is a good lesson to all of us that there is still evil in the world,” McConnell said. “NATO is now more unified that it has ever been.”

McConnell said the goal of the United States should be do help Ukraine win the war. He added that China’s President Xi Jinping is taking notes and he hopes the lesson he learns from Ukraine is that it would not be worth it trying to take Taiwan by force.