Peoria Standard

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will provide the keynote speech at the 2023 Lincoln Day Dinner. 

The Peoria-Tazewell Lincoln Day Dinner will be held on Friday, May 12, 2023. 

“Governor Ron DeSantis is one of the preeminent conservative voices in our country, fighting back against the radical left,” U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL16) said in a press release.  “As Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis has enabled his state to thrive because he leads with fiscal responsibility, family values, and Constitutional principles. I am honored to welcome him to this year’s Peoria-Tazewell Lincoln Day Dinner and look forward to hearing him share his Florida Blueprint with central Illinois conservatives.” 

Peoria and Tazewell County GOP Chairmen Chuck Weaver and Jim Rule said they are looking forward to hosting DeSantis. 

“We are grateful to Governor Ron DeSantis for joining us this year and excited to again jointly host one of the largest events in Illinois Republican politics this year. Governor DeSantis will be an excellent keynote speaker, highlighting his strong, common sense conservative agenda and the contrast between the failed policies coming from Governor Pritzker and Democrats in Springfield,” Weaver and Rule said in the release. 

Details on how to get tickets are forthcoming. Inquiries can be sent to Rule via chairman@tazewellgop.org. 

“More details including how to get your tickets will be forthcoming! Please add it to your calendar and plan to be a part of this memorable event.” Tazewell County, Illinois Republican Party said on Facebook.

The Peoria-Tazewell Lincoln Day Dinner is one of the most anticipated gatherings for Republicans in the state each year.

Earlier this year DeSantis visited Illinois in a three-state tour on President’s Day. The “Back the Blue” events were aimed at law enforcement. 

“The reason why you have crime that is spiraled out of control in so many of these different areas is because you have politicians putting woke ideology ahead of public safety,” DeSantis said to a crowd of law enforcement officers at the Elmhurst Knights of Columbus Hall, DuPage Policy Journal reported. “As you see, massive increases in crime in places like Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia. Florida has a 50-year low in our crime rate.”