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By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

NORTH WEBSTER — Kimberly Cates and District 22 State Rep. Craig Snow were announced as the 2023 Republican Man and Woman of the Year at the Kosciusko County Republican Hall of Fame dinner, Thursday, Nov. 2. The event was held at The Owl’s Nest.

Mike Ragan, county chairman, gave the introductions of the Man and Woman of the Year.

State Rep. Craig Snow, left, and Kimberly Cates were named the 2023 Man and Woman of the Year by the Kosciusko County Republican Party Thursday, Nov. 2.

Regarding Cates, Ragan stated she is a great citizen and has been involved in Kosciusko County for many years. “She has served our community for several years and has done a wonderful job,” said Ragan. “She’s been a great friend to most of you, if not all. She is currently serving on the Kosciusko County Council.”

Cates’s only comment was “There’s so many women who deserve this more than I, and I”m very appreciative and thank you.”

His introduction of Snow was brief. Ragan only noting Snow has served Kosciusko County and Warsaw in many, many ways.

Snow stated “I really haven’t done a whole lot yet. I’m still working on it. It has been a joy and honor to represent you all. … nice having friends — Rep. (David) Abbot and Sen. (Ryan) Mishler along side me to get stuff done. It’s not always easy. It’s been an enjoyable learning process …”

Keynote speaker 3rd District Congressman Jim Banks and 2nd District Congressman Rudy Yakym could not be present for the evening, but spoke via Zoom from Washington D.C.

Yakym remarked newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was a rock solid conservative, a Christian and “one of the most solidly fundamental conservative Christians in maybe a 100 years.” He stated last week the house passed a pro Israel resolution supporting Israel. “What Hamas has done on Oct 7 amounts to the worst atrocities against the Jewish nation we have seen since the Holocaust. The world has watched in horror and what they’ve done to Jews in the nation of Israel. The United States unequivocally stands with them…. strength to our enemies and we’ve seen that with Hamas, they have been supported by Iran. Iran has done very well under the Joe Biden administration,” stated Yakym.

Having his staff do some research, Yakym stated the very first year Biden was president, Iran’s GDP went up by 50%. “That’s because we allowed them to go around our oil embargo, our oil sanctions … Iran is taking that money and using it on terrorism on Israel. The nation of Israel absolutely has the right to defend themselves. I support them … whatever action they deem necessary to assure this never happens again.”

Congressman Rudy Yakym speaks via Zoom.

Yakym touched on the anti-semitism occurring on college campuses. “Liberal college campuses have allowed anti-semitism to creep across the entirety of this nation and it has to stop. .. We are working on legislation to call that out and condemn it.”

He also noted the House will have passed between 80-85% of the appropriation bills needed to fund government. However, he said Democrats in the Senate are “doing nothing. We need to send more conservative fighters to the Senate.” With that, he introduced Banks.

Banks stated he was sorry they could not be with the group in person and would rather be there than “stuck here in the swap. But this week we’re doing what you all pay us to do, to come to Washington, what you elect us to do, and represent you and fight for our conservative Hoosier values here on Capital Hill.

He said he and Yakym were doing “everything we can to cut wasteful spending, secure our border and to hold Joe Biden and the most corrupt administration in American history accountable for what they are doing to our country. That’s saying a lot after the Clintons served in the White House.”

He called Biden the most corrupt president ever to sleep in the White House and that it was his goal and hope “that we impeach Joe Biden before the end of this Congress to make sure no other president in the future of this great country ever thinks they can get away with what this president and his family have done to sell out our country in such a big way.”

Serving his fourth and final term in the House, Banks, who is running for U.S. Senator, said Indiana is a conservative state and Indiana deserves a conservative fighter. “I’m so tired of go-along to get-along Republicans who go along with the Democrats, vote for more spending, vote to sell this country out …”

Congressman Jim Bank addresses the crowd via Zoom from Washington, D.C.

Banks stated that would not happen on his watch. “I promise you that when you make me your next state senator, I’m going to fight for this country in a big way to move us forward, to get our country back on track, to put America first in a way you deserve your United States senator to fight for each and every day.”

He noted he has two Democrat opponents and a lifelong Democrat running on the Republican ticket, who is suing the state to strike down Indiana ballot access laws to get his name on the ballot. Banks added “we’re not going to let him get away with it and we’re not going to let the Democrats take over the senate seat … fight to win back the senate majority and keep the majority in the house … We will do everything we can to win back the White House.

He concluded his keynote address by stating his full support for Donald Trump to return to the presidency. He called Trump, who endorsed Banks for the U.S Senate, “the best president of my lifetime.

The group of Republicans also heard from Indiana Secretary o State Diego Morales and Indiana Treasurer Daniel Elliott along with 3rd District U.S. House candidates Grant Bucher, Jon Kenworthy, Tim Smith and Mike Felker.