After 5 years, Lincoln Dinner returns to Lexington. Here’s what attendees said

Some years ago, West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice’s toilet exploded on him upon flushing it, covering him in his excrement, he told about 850 Republican Kentuckians polishing off their desserts and roaring with laughter at Saturday’s Statewide Lincoln Dinner.

“I told you I’d make you laugh,” he said, seated beside his beloved bulldog Babydog inside the expansive Central Bank Center.

It was one of disparate, and at times off-color, stories he told attendees of the statewide GOP fundraiser who’d paid between $100 and $15,000 a ticket. After a five-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the crowd heard GOP leaders mock Democrats and emphasize the party’s platform at a moment in power.

Many major names in Republican politics in Kentucky were in attendance, including Sen. Mitch McConnell, conservative commentator Scott Jennings, and the three leading candidates to replace McConnell in the Senate, Congressman Andy Barr, former Attorney General Daniel Cameron and entrepreneur Nate Morris, all of whom reiterated their devotion to the “party of common sense” and their respective platforms.

Barr pledged his loyalty to the party as a current member of the House of Representatives and a close ally of President Donald Trump. Cameron underlined his track record of fighting for the state as attorney general and applying a merit-driven approach. And Morris continued his takedown of “career politicians” like McConnell and his similarities to outsiders like Trump.

McConnell presented a lifetime achievement award to longtime treasurer Cathy Bell at Saturday’s dinner.

“No one is more reliable, no one is more loyal, no one is more dedicated to Republican principals, and no one has had more impact than Cathy Bell when it comes to training and mentoring young political operatives, many of them are here tonight and have gone on to hold leadership positions in our state,” McConnell said.

The dinner also brought plenty of attendees eager to reconnect after five years with like-minded voters.

One was Willie Oden, a retired Sergeant Major who is running for sheriff in Hardin County. A former Democrat, he aimed to network and get the word out about his new agenda: to get politics out of service.

Also in attendance was farmer H.H. Barlow of Barren County, a long-time Republican who was involved in campaigns for Ernie Fletcher, a former Kentucky congressman and governor. A grandfather of 16, he brought two of his granddaughters to the dinner with hopes of instilling his love of conservative values in them.

“I’m not wealthy, but I’m rich in family,” Barlow said. “I would consider me and my family very conservative, very, very pro-life. That’s an absolutely essential part of the platform to be anti-abortion, pro-life.”

Jennings spent most of his 15-minute speech criticizing Democrats nationwide and in Kentucky.

Despite Babydog the bulldog’s presence, Jennings compared Gov. Andy Beshear to a dalmatian tagging along with Republicans’ firetruck and mocked liberals’ obsessions with their labradoodles. He equated being a Democrat in Kentucky to being a vegan at Moonlight Barbeque and claimed the party of FDR has become the party of DNR — do not resuscitate.

“We have to keep pushing, because the meltdown happening on the American Left right now is glorious. As we stand here tonight, the Democratic Party is but a puddle,” Jennings said. “Well, nationally, it’s a puddle. In Kentucky, it’s already evaporated.”

Outside the conference center, about 50 protesters with the Peaceful Bluegrass Resistance held signs lambasting Trump and Barr and shouted at attendees entering the event.

“We’re just very disillusioned with what Trump is doing to our country and our democracy,” said Jeanette Coufal, a retired UK professor. “Lincoln would be rolling over in his grave.”

The demonstration was about the 150th that leader of the group, Craig Blair, has held since February 10. With the group’s Facebook membership of 3,000, Blair hopes to continue demonstrating throughout Lexington and bring awareness to the damage he feels Republicans have brought to the state.

“Our goal for coming here to the Republican state party is to communicate with our Republican legislators, because they won’t hold town halls, they don’t answer phone calls, they don’t hold office hours,” Blair said. “So unless you’re a high-paying donor, you don’t get any face time with them.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify the process of Cathy Bell receiving a lifetime award.

This story was originally published August 10, 2025 at 10:31 AM.