This coming weekend may be quite an exciting time for the Nevada Democratic Party, with eyes around the nation focused on the Silver State’s 2020 Democratic Caucus, but the Nevada Republican Party isn’t allowing the other side of the aisle to revel in the spotlight all on its own.
The Nevada Republican Central Committee will be holding its 2020 Winter Meeting right here in Pahrump with a whole host of events scheduled from Friday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 23.
On the very same day that Democrats will be out for the 2020 Democratic Caucus, the state GOP party will also be holding a vote to endorse and bind its delegates to President Donald Trump. Saturday, Feb. 22’s GOP events include the Nye County Republican Central Committee’s annual Lincoln Dinner as well, and a Trump/Pence 2020 Keeping American Great Parade will trek down the main highway in Pahrump the following morning.
“On Friday, Feb. 21, it’s the state executive committee meeting at 10 a.m., the county secretaries meeting at noon, the rural caucus meeting at 1 p.m. and a no-host cocktail reception starting at 5 p.m., all of which will happen at the Pahrump Nugget,” Nye County Republican Central Committee Chairman Joe Burdzinski detailed. “The rural caucus meeting is strictly just the rural counties that will meet and each of the rural counties have so many delegates to the state meeting. Nye County has 11 delegates total. The rural caucus meeting will include discussion about issues specifically related to the rural counties. Friday’s events are open but for Saturday’s meeting, you have to be one of the delegates to get in.”
On the morning of Saturday, Feb. 22, the state Republican meeting will kick off with a continental breakfast and registration of the delegates starting at 7 a.m. Michael McDonald, the chair of the Nevada Republican Central Committee, will call the event to order at 9 a.m. Shortly after the call to order, board and staff reports will be presented and the vote to endorse President Trump is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the results set to be announced around 3 p.m. that afternoon.
“The thing that is going to attract the most news coverage, including national media, will be the vote to pledge all of Nevada’s Republican delegates to President Trump. We will be the first state in the West to do so,” Burdzinski stated.
During the lunch break for the state meeting on Saturday, a “Calling All Patriots” rally will be held at the corner of Highway 160 and Highway 372 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Burdzinski encouraged area residents to head out and show their support for this event too. “Join us as we show our pro-Constitution, pro-gun and pro-American spirit and enthusiasm for the founding principles that made this country great!” a flyer for the rally states.
All the hubbub won’t be coming to a close after the official Nevada Republican Central Committee Meeting adjourns, however. With just two hours to swap out the venue at the Pahrump Nugget, members of the Nye County Republican Central Committee will be hard at work preparing for the 41st Annual Lincoln Day Dinner, set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22.
The Lincoln Day Dinner is completely sold out, which is no shock considering so many Republicans from around the state will already be in Pahrump that evening.
The Lincoln Day Dinner is one of the Nye County Republicans’ flagship fundraisers and includes not just a meal and political discourse, but plenty of auction action and raffle prizes as well. The award for the best Nye County Republican Central Committee Volunteer of the Year will be presented, along with an award for a very special member of the community, a World War II veteran whose name is being kept under wraps for now, so as to not spoil the surprise.
That very busy Saturday will then be followed by a first-time event for the valley, the Keeping American Great Parade.
“We’re really excited about the parade and we think it’s going to be a nice thing for Pahrump and Nye County,” a clearly excited Burdzinski told the Pahrump Valley Times. “It has been somewhat challenging to pull this together but we’re doing it!”
As for how the idea to host the parade came about, Burdzinski said, “Basically, the Cowboys for Trump have been going across the western part of the country and they wanted to come here, so it kind of grew out of a conversation that I had with Jo McDonald, who is now the events coordinator for the state of Nevada for the re-election of President Trump. She asked if we thought we could do it and I said, ‘Well, let’s find out.’ I went to talk to Sheriff Sharon Wehrly and Commissioner Debra Strickland and they both just jumped in. And Stacie here has been doing a wonderful job.”
“It’s an important thing, I think, for Nye County, especially with everything that is going on this coming weekend,” Stacie Hiebert, the Nye County Republican Central Committee events coordinator, added with enthusiasm. “We want to show that there’s all kinds of great stuff going on here. Pahrump’s not just a little town anymore. Our thing is to get everybody involved. It’s for the town, it’s for the state. We need to get everybody united and back on the same page with the same goals and get Trump re-elected.”
The parade will begin at Crawford Way and Highway 160 at 9 a.m. with participants marching down to Basin Avenue.
Following the parade, everyone will gather back at the Pahrump Nugget parking lot where Republican candidates for office will have the chance to address the crowds with their campaign messages.
Those set to speak include U.S. Congressional District 4 candidates such as Nye County Commissioner Leo Blundo, former Nevada Assemblyman Jim Marchant, Charles Navarro, Sam Peters, Lisa Song Sutton and Rebecca Wood. Nye County Commissioners Donna Cox and John Koenig and former commissioner Frank Carbone, who are all set to run for commissioner this year, will also speak. Candidates for Nevada Assembly District 36 Greg Hafen II, who currently holds that seat by appointment, and his opponent Dr. Joseph Bradley are on the schedule too, as is appointed Nye County Treasurer John Prudhont, who will be running for election to the treasurer’s post this year.
Putting a patriotic cap on the entire weekend of Republican events will be the Nevada Silver Tappers, who close out the three-day event spree by taking to the stage for one of their much-loved performances.
For more information on the events taking place this weekend contact the Nevada Republicans at info@nevadagop.org or the Nye County Republicans at ncrcceventcoordinator@gmail.com
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com