News release from the Indiana Republican Party:
GOP announces keynote speakers for Republican State Convention
(April 21, 2014) – The Indiana Republican Party today announced that keynote speakers for the party’s State Convention will be former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Republican National Chair Reince Priebus.
The convention, scheduled for June 6-7, will be held in Fort Wayne for the first time. About 1,775 delegates will represent all 92 Indiana counties. They will vote on the 2014 platform and nominate statewide candidates for Secretary of State, Auditor and Treasurer.
Huckabee served as Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and was a candidate in the 2008 U.S. Republican presidential primary, finishing third behind John McCain and Mitt Romney. He is a published author, ordained Southern Baptist minister, musician and public speaker. He currently hosts the Fox News Channel talk show “Huckabee.”
Reince Priebus served as a clerk for the Wisconsin State Assembly Education Committee, earned a law degree from the University of Miami and practiced law in Wisconsin. In 2004, he ran for a Wisconsin State Senate seat but lost it to the Democratic incumbent. He was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee in January 2011.
“We look forward to welcoming these prominent representatives of the Republican Party to Fort Wayne to keynote the first night of the State Convention,” said Allen County Republican Party Chair Steve Shine. “We feel confident their words will inspire our delegates.”
State Party chairman Tim Berry said, “We are honored to have RNC Chairman Reince Priebus take part in our 2014 convention. Just as we expect the Fort Wayne convention to set Republicans on a path to victory here in Indiana, we are confident Chairman Priebus’ efforts to improve the RNC’s digital and data footprint, the national convention and Republican grassroots outreach will set us on a path to the White House in 2016!”
On Friday, June 6, convention delegates and their families will adjourn to “Fort Fun Night” at Parkview Field. Six restaurants will provide a “Taste of Fort Wayne” – Chop’s Steak and Seafood, Club Soda, Eddie Merlot’s, J.K. O’Donnell’s Irish Ale House, Main Street Bistro and Martini Lounge, and Oyster Bar. There will be entertainment by four bands – Last Call, Sierra Shame, Urban Legend and Sugar Shot – followed by fireworks.
On Saturday, June 7, there will be a celebration of Gov. Mike Pence’s birthday, and delegates and their families will be shuttled to Science Central, Allen County Courthouse, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Jefferson Pointe Shopping Center, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory and the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Lbirary. Saturday evening there will be a musical extravaganza.