Delegate Ric Metzgar attends annual dinner, Juneteenth Celebration

On June 19, 2024, Delegate Ric Metzgar attended the 33rd Annual Red, White & Blue Dinner at the DoubleTree Hilton Annapolis Hotel. The Red, White & Blue Dinner is an annual fundraiser hosted by the Maryland Republican Party (MDGOP) to raise money for local Republican challengers.

There were two keynote speakers. The first speaker was Senator Joni Ernst, a retired United States Army Lieutenant Colonel and Republican U.S. senator from Iowa, who recently became a grandmother for the first time. She was introduced by Maryland Congressman Andy Harris.

Senator Ernst spoke about what the Republican Party represents and why it is important to elect former President Donald Trump President and former Governor Larry Hogan to the United States Senate.

The after-dinner keynote speaker was Mr. Jonathan Alexandre, a member of the GOP Civil Rights Leadership, who spoke about the significance of Juneteenth.

June 19, 1865, or Juneteenth, commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans notified of their freedom by federal soldiers in Galveston, Texas, about two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Mr. Alexandre spoke about the role that the Republican Party played in ending slavery, ending segregation and giving women the right to vote. Juneteenth is now a federal holiday recognizing the end of slavery signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021.

Delegate Metzgar enjoyed the dinner, speeches, and presentation. He was honored when he was asked to deliver the closing benediction.