3 days ago
Mackinaw City dinner attracts several GOP hopefuls
MACKINAW CITY — "I've been doing these things for 20 years and this is by far the best lineup of any Republican dinner in the state this year when you look at who is attending," said Republican Party consultant Dennis Lennox.
Lennox is referring to the Straits Area Lincoln Day Dinner scheduled for Saturday, June 7 at Audie's Restaurant in Mackinaw City. Two congressmen, 2026 gubernatorial candidates and several state lawmakers — all Republicans — are scheduled to attend.
"It's a who's who of Republicans in Northern Michigan. It's not often that Northern Michigan political events attract the kind of lineup that we have," said Lennox.
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga and U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman are expected at the dinner. Huizenga's appearance comes as some state Republicans are encouraging him to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Republican gubernatorial candidates including state senate minority leader Aric Nesbitt, former attorney general Mike Cox and Kevin Rinke are listed on the roster. Rinke has yet to announce officially but is widely expected to do so.
Northern Michigan lawmakers including State Sen. John Damoose and Representatives Parker Fairbairn and Cam Cavitt are also set to attend.
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Lennox said the dinner came about because of a newly formed GOP-centric political action committee called Friends of Up North that will support Republican Party principles in the region.
"There was a need to bring Republicans together from across the region. The dinner will have 150 attendees and it is a sellout," Lennox said.
He said participants will come from 12 counties in the state, ranging from Eaton in the south to Ontonagon in the Upper Peninsula.
"Traditionally the way it works is candidates for statewide office typically hit Northern Michigan in the year preceding an election," said Lennox. "The reality is once you get closer to the election there are not as many votes in Northern Michigan, so candidates tend to spend the election year in the more populated areas."
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Straits Area Lincoln Day Dinner in Mackinaw City attracts several GOP hopefuls
