Local delegates reflect on Republican National Convention

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – It was an emotional week for local delegates at the 2024 Republican National Convention.

Sharon Boreing, State President of the Tennesse Federation of Republican Women, and Todd Fowler, mayor of Johnson City, attended the convention. Both said that emotions were high due to an appearance by former President Donald Trump following his assassination attempt.

“It was very emotional for everyone,” said Boreing. “Knowing that he could have been killed, but his life was spared.”

Fowler said adrenaline was high after Trump reacted to the shooting.

“I think most everybody was really excited because of the way Trump reacted after the shooting,” said Fowler. “Everybody was fired up because of the way he reacted and the ‘fight, fight, fight,’ you heard many, many times during the RNC.”

Due to the assassination attempt, Boreing and Fowler said the security was tight, including snipers on the roof and officers on horses.

“Whenever you went inside the perimeter or left to go out of the perimeter,” said Fowler. “From there you had a policeman from somewhere or a police-associated person that was just making sure everybody was where they’re supposed to be.”

“There were also policemen on horses,” said Boreing. “And matter of fact, we drove down one street and there was horse trailer after horse trailer packed in a vacant lot.”

At the convention, Trump officially earned his party’s nomination for the top of the presidential ticket, with Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.

“When it was announced [the vice president nominee] was J.D. Vance, we were all in for him,” said Boreing.

“[Vance] being from Ohio, that’s a very important state for Trump to win this year.”

Now that the convention is over, both delegates said they are looking ahead to election day.

“Just keep pushing and make sure that we’re in the same situation in November that we’re in right now,” said Fowler.

“I’m going to be visiting various counties and actually trying to recruit more women to go into battleground states during the months of September and October.”

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