Karl Rove, a White House deputy chief of staff and the architect of Bush’s two successful presidential campaigns, will be the keynote speaker at the Lancaster County Republican Committee’s spring fund-raising dinner on Thursday, May 4.

The $100-a-plate dinner will be held at the Lancaster Host Resort and Conference Center. U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, who is expected to face a tough re-election campaign this fall, is also a featured speaker at the event.

“Karl Rove’s appearance is a tribute to the national importance of Lancaster County in the upcoming primary and general elections for the U.S. Senate,” said Lancaster County GOP Chairman Dave Dumeyer, who will also speak at the dinner.

“We’re the most Republican county in Pennsylvania, and every Lancaster County vote to return Rick Santorum to the senate is also a vote to keep GOP majority control of the senate. This race is that important and the White House certainly recognizes it,” Dumeyer said in a prepared statement released Sunday evening.

Dumeyer noted this morning that Bush received the highest number of votes ever cast for a Republican candidate in Lancaster County during his 2004 re-election campaign. He believes Rove’s appearance is in recognition for the work the local party did in turning out those votes.

“This is one of the ways that the White House can support places that have been supportive of it,” he said.

Rove, 55, who manages the White House Office of Political Affairs, has been on the road in recent weeks speaking in GOP strongholds in Ohio, Arkansas and West Virginia.

Those appearances come as Bush’s new chief of staff, Joshua Bolten, reorganizes the president’s advisers. Rove, who became the president’s chief domestic policy adviser a year ago, was replaced in that role last week. The move allows Rove to focus on Republican efforts to retain control of Congress in the fall’s mid-term elections.

Katherine Wood-Jacobs, who is coordinating the fund-raising dinner, said about 350 tickets have already been sold in recent weeks to county committee members and elected officials. Only about 150 dinner tickets remain.

Another 125 tickets have been sold for a $500-per-person VIP reception with Rove and Santorum. The reception room has a capacity for about 250 people, she said.

Both Wood-Jacobs and Dumeyer said the event is also a celebration of the party’s 150th anniversary. Demand for the remaining tickets could be intense, he acknowledged.

“We’re hoping to accommodate as many people as are interested, but at some point we’re going to have to cut that off,” said Dumeyer. “Space is not unlimited.”

“It’s going to be more than just the usual county dinner.”

Anyone interested in making reservations or getting more information may contact the Lancaster County Republican Committee by phone at 392-4165, fax at 392-0445, or by email at info@goplancaster.com.

Talkback on LancasterOnline

Welcome to the new TalkBack on LancasterOnline. Please use the comment box below to share your opinion on this article. If you would prefer to use the previous TalkBack forums instead, please use this link.

blog comments powered by Disqus