County GOP Hosts Packed Lincoln Day Dinner

The Sangamon County Republican Party welcomed hundreds of guests to the BOS Center Wednesday night for its annual Lincoln Day Dinner, celebrating local GOP success and rallying supporters.

The event was chaired by Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray, who opened the evening by highlighting what it means to be a Republican—standing for personal responsibility, limited government, and protecting individual freedoms. He credited these core values as the reason Sangamon County continues to deliver strong Republican victories across every level of local government.

Keynote speaker Johnny “Joey” Jones, a Marine Corps veteran and Fox News contributor, brought the crowd to its feet with his message of resilience, patriotism, and service. After serving two combat deployments and eight years in the Marine Corps, Jones was severely injured in Afghanistan while working as a bomb technician. Since then, he has become a national advocate for veterans, a media analyst, and a bestselling author, known for his work on Fox Nation Outdoors and the Proud American podcast.

The program also featured remarks from Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, a small businesswoman and former mayor of Savanna, who spoke about the need for strong conservative leadership in Springfield and the importance of electing Republicans at every level of government.

The Lowell Fraim Award was presented to longtime volunteer Cynthia Lamar for her tireless grassroots work, service as Deputy State Central Committeewoman, and commitment to the local party.

“This event shows the strength and unity of our party,” said Sangamon County GOP Chairwoman Dianne Barghouti Hardwick. “We’re proud of what we’ve built here—and we’re ready to keep fighting for our values and our community.”