DES MOINES, Iowa – The Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner took place on Thursday evening in a ballroom at the Iowa Events center. 

The event sees the biggest names in the Iowa Republican party gather in Des Moines to hear from different Republican speakers every year.

This year’s featured speaker was Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin has been in office since 2022, coming into the political realm after being a CEO for a private equity firm for 25 years. 

Gov. Youngkin participated in a fireside chat with Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann, where he outlined how he was able to win the gubernatorial election while the state legislature was Democrat-controlled in both chambers.

“The bottom line is that so many Virginians were Republicans and they just didn’t know it. No one had come to them and asked for their vote,” said Governor Youngkin.

GOP Chairman Kaufmann told reporters he didn’t ask Youngkin if he would end up running for president or not in 2028, but he reaffirmed his commitment to having the Iowa GOP caucuses first in the nation; urging Iowa Democrats to do the same.

In years past, the Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner has served as a testing ground for prospective political candidates looking to sharpen their teeth ahead of a run for political office. President Donald Trump and the other Republican presidential candidates spoke at the dinner in 2023 during the caucus cycle. Nikki Haley spoke at the Lincoln Dinner in 2021, ahead of her run for the 2024 GOP nomination.

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Secretary of State Paul Pate, Attorney General Brenna Bird and Lieutenant Governor Chris Cornoyer were in attendance, reciting the pledge of allegiance before the start of the dinner. 

Former Governor and US Ambassador Terry Branstad was there in person, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, Majority Leader in the Iowa House Matt Windschitl, Senate President Amy Sinclair and more. President Sinclair and Speaker Grassley spoke before the fireside chat with Youngkin. 

Governor Reynolds was not in attendance at the event due to an economic inquiry trip in Minnesota on Thursday and Chicago on Friday.

The Iowa Democrats held their annual reception on Wednesday night in Des Moines as well.

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