This weekend, 17 Young Republicans from St. Charles joined a larger group of Young Republicans from across the state which in turn was part of a larger group of 850 Republicans from all over the state who "invaded" the Convention Center in St. Charles for the 111th annual Lincoln Days. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Lincoln Days, it is the annual celebration held by Republicans so we can all come together, connect with old friends, make some new ones, learn what is going on in other parts of the state, meet candidates for office and, above all, enjoy the company of other like-minded people.
This is the first state Lincoln Days to be held in St. Charles. I've been to several through the years and I believe St. Charles has organized and hosted the best one ever. I don't know if I have ever been as proud to be a Republican citizen of St. Charles as I am right now. It took the hard work of a lot of people to pull it off, and it showed.
One of the best things about this year’s Lincoln Days, was the diversity present, especially with the young people. If you have attended Lincoln Days in the past, you would have noticed that they are not very well attended by young people. This year, there was an effort put into getting the young people there and making them feel welcome. A special thanks to Majority Leaders Kevin Engler (in the Senate) and Steven Tilley (in the House) for their efforts there. A lot of politicians will often talk about getting young people involved, but these two really walked the walk this weekend.
I won't presume to speak for any of the others that were in attendance, but for myself, I am excited about what this election year can hold for us. We have a lot of great Republicans running in all parts of the state. We have a great opportunity to make some great headway in reversing the Democratic wins in 2008.
As many of you know, this will be Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond’s last term as Senior Senator of Missouri. After years of service dedicated to the people of Missouri, he is not seeking re-election, although he was quick to point out that he is not retiring! When he announced it a year ago, pundits said that this was a seat that could easily turn to the Democratic side. Since then, we have made great strides and we can keep this seat in Republican hands. But we can’t sit back and watch the show; we need to make sure it happens.
The other statewide race this year is for Auditor. While many do not consider Auditor the sexiest race out there, it is a very important one. The Auditor’s office is the only one that can hold our Executive Office accountable with OUR tax money. We need to make sure that a conservative is in that post, one that will keep good track of our money, of which they are only stewards.
One of the themes that was prevalent throughout the weekend was what unites us. We all came from different parts of the state. We all have different backgrounds and experiences. We were of all different ages. But when we all got together, we were able to concentrate on those beliefs that unite all Republicans, those issues of life, liberty and property. So, while there may be some disagreement on some issues, we need to focus on those things that unite us and get to work!
So, what can we do? If you are truly wishing for a change now, back to what made this country and state great, there are plenty of opportunities. We have statewide races for Senate and Auditor, if that is where you would like to help. But there are also local races for things like mayors, city councils, county councils and others and everything in between. All of these campaigns will be looking for help. If you would like to help, but just don't know how, please let us know; we can help you find what you're looking for. The important thing is to find a race that you can get excited about and use that passion.
This will be an exciting election year. Now is the time to get involved. Now is our time!
Matt Ehlen
Treasurer
St. Charles Young Republicans