(La Porte, IN) - La Porte was the Hub of Conservatism Friday night, as the local Republican Party hosted its annual Lincoln Day Dinner that brought in big names from around the state.
La Porte County Party Chairman Allen Stevens pinned the A-list turnout on a local congressional district that has grabbed attention statewide and nationally. “Due to redistricting, a good portion of the city of La Porte and La Porte County has moved into Congressional District 1,” Stevens said. “It’s a purple district; it’s a top-five identified district by the National Republican Campaign Committee. So they’re pouring a lot of time and resources into this race. It’s going to be exciting for La Porte County.”
Blair Milo is the local candidate in that primary race, along with six others, several of whom were present at Friday night’s event. Also in attendance were Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan, State Attorney General Todd Rokita, and U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski.
Walorski gave a fiery speech to the crowd gathered at the Civic Auditorium. She represents much of La Porte County in the state’s 2nd Congressional District. The rest of the county is in the 1st District, which pundits say may go Republican for the first time in about 90 years. Walorski said having another Republican representing northwest Indiana is a distinct possibility. “The prospects are good if people get out to vote,” she said. “If the same red-blooded Americans here— that are everywhere else that want freedom in this country— want the price of gas to go down, want the inflation to stop, then they’re going to vote for a Republican.”
Rokita gave the evening’s keynote speech. Prior to the event, he spoke exclusively with HTNN about what he sees as a surge of Republican values statewide and in La Porte County. “I’m seeing high energy around the entire state,” he said. “I’ve been around long enough to know La Porte. One of my mentors, Ed Simcox, is from here. I know this is a bellwether kind of county; I know there are a lot of Democrats, and for the first time in a long time, because of President Trump, this party is the party of the working man and woman.”
County Chair Stevens touted the party’s over 80 elected officials locally, and predicted the number of Republicans holding office in La Porte County will rise to 100 in the next election.
The local party also handed out its Republican of the Year Award, which went to Center Township Trustee Lisa Pierzakowski.
