The Prince William County Republican/Manassas Park Committee’s 2026 Lincoln-Reagan Dinner set records for both attendance and fund raising. Held last Saturday at the Foxchase Manor, with WMAL morning program host, Larry O’Connor as keynote speaker, it saw its attendance rise by more than half over previous years, with revenue increasing to nearly $100,000.
O’Connor, the host one of the leading talk radio shows, O’Connor and Company, which has just gone national, was introduced by Cole District County Supervisor, Yesli Vega. In her remarks, Vega asked the audience to follow in the tradition of Lincoln and Reagan in fighting for the greatness of our country and the American dream. She called upon the attendees to redouble their efforts in the fight for American liberty and values, both locally and nationally.
O’Connor’s entertaining speech mixed uproarious humor and sharp political insights. Noting the energized, sold-out audience, he paraphrased Mark Twain and said, “the death of the Republican Party in Virginia are greatly exaggerated.” He singled out the new Woodbridge Supervisor, Jeannie LaCroix, the first Republican to win in the Woodbridge district in 40 years, as an example.
By using facts and common sense, O’Connor said Republicans could get through to the voters to engage and win fights. “Our political opponents always need to distort the truth to gain an edge,” he added.
Credit must be given to the Republican Committee Chairman, Jacob Alderman for his efforts to energize this event, and to all the volunteers, including Vice Chairwoman Merianne Jensen, and Committee Secretary Ashley Miller. Pointing to the success of the evening, Alderman offered to share the PWCRC/MP’s experience to help other county Republican committees organize similar dinners.