ST. CLAIRSVILLE – Republican Party ideals and a strategy for winning in November were the main topics at the Belmont County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner on Wednesday.

“The Republican Party holds what they call a Lincoln Day Dinner because of our great president Abraham Lincoln. The Democrat Party holds a Jefferson-Jackson Day in honor of those presidents. From February to May each year, local Republicans in each county get together and celebrate his birthday,” said former Ohio Sen. Jim Carnes, who attended the event.

Hosted by Belmont County GOP Chairman Chris Gagin, the event celebrated the people, ideas and work of the Republican Party in Belmont County and across the state. Several candidates in contested area races gave a brief overview of what they stand for and hope to do if elected.

Gagin and keynote speaker Matt Borges, chairman of the Ohio GOP, both spoke about campaign strategy and the need for party unity.

“Political parties are not machines or corporations. They are technically not government. We are really a collection of like-minded individuals. I know all of you value liberty in all of its forms, that you value and respect the Constitution of the United States,” said Gagin, stressing the values of respect, family, work, solid education, and limited government, including at the local level.

Gagin said there have been no Republicans elected to the Belmont County Commission in 40 years.

“We will be silent no more in this county. We are going to hold our Democrat friends accountable for their actions. We have better candidates, better ideas. All we need to do is communicate them,” said Gagin.

Borges mainly addressed the need for party unity. He stressed the party needs to come together to defeat Democrats, not argue with each other.

Borges spent time speaking about the presidential election, specifically about the need to defeat Hillary Clinton, who he presumes will be the Democrat nominee. He mentioned her “war on coal” and “failed foreign policy.”

“I supported (Ohio Gov. John) Kasich very vocally in his run for president. And I’m very proud of the run that he made, very proud of the message he put forward and very proud that he’s helped turn this state around, and the ideas that he had that helped turn the country around,” said Borges.

He said that it was sad to see the Kasich campaign end, but the main goal now is to “make sure Hillary Clinton gets nowhere near the White House.”

“No Republican president has won the White House without Ohio,” said Borges. “It will come down to us, and it will come down to us working together.”