Lincoln Day Lunch - 10 February 2026

Above: Blair Education Center, Park City, UT. 07 February 2026.
Summit County, UT Republicans Lincoln Day Lunch.
Image. Mike Kennedy. US Congress Utah 3.

I conversed briefly with Mike Kennedy. I held a fundraiser for him when he ran against Pierre Delecto in the Republican Party Utah Senate primary in 2018. Back then, feeling strongly (and subsequently proven right) about Delecto's inadequacy as a Utah Senate candidate, I had hopes that Mike Kennedy could beat him. Back then, I also felt that I had wasted my effort to support Kennedy as Kennedy turned out to be a weak challenger of Delecto. Delecto's faults (hypocrisy, sanctimony, elitist, globalist traits) were easy to highlight and Kennedy demurred (Utah Nice) given the opportunity to expose them. Since, I have generally been supportive of Kennedy, now a US congressman. He relied on the convention/caucus process to get nominated... a plus. He sets a great example as a successful MD and family man. He stopped by LSDM in Park City on a Friday meet a few months ago. Today, I invited him to make a return visit when he could.

Other luminaries present: Jason Chaffetz. Marlo Oaks, Utah Treasurer. Blake Moore, US Congress, Utah 1. Tina Cannon, Utah State Auditor.

Chaffetz is being touted as a candidate for Utah governor. He would be a welcome replacement for the oleaginous Cox who has departed from conservative orthodoxy by introducing overly burdensome Covid-19 protocols, putting forward sanctuary state enticements, and tilting left on LBGTQ issues.

Kudos to Summit County Pub leaders Ari Ioannides and Aspiring Geek (Jimmy May). I gave a donation. I like the way the Pub party in Summit County is being run these days... which has not always been the case.

Pre event side conversations:

Blake Moore, US Congressman District 1: Mwah (sic): Congressman Moore, what are you doing here? You're congressman for District 1. Summit County is in District 3. Our congressman is Mike Kennedy. Blake Moore: Ari Ioannides, Summit County Pub Head, and I are good friends. Ari asked me to join the meeting to say a few words.

Blake Moore, for me, typifies the milquetoast aura of much of Utah's political leadership (voire Cox, Delecto). Moore was active in supporting January 6 investigations. More backed the discredited Liz Cheney for GOP leadership. Moore's position diverts from conservative orthodoxy on LBGTQ issues. Moore generally finds himself on the side of fiscal compromise on issues where conservatives want to hold firm. Moore is a "can't we all just get along" politician in an era where firm stands are critical to reverse "frog in the pot" cultural disintegration.

Tina Cannon, Utah State Auditor: Mwah (sic): Did Cox and company break the electoral rules in claiming victory as governor? Tina Cannon: No. There was a flawed process that certified the signature gathering process when signatures were actually short... but the Cox organization was not responsible for that. They followed the rules every step of the way. We need to shore up the process though.

Mark Allen, candidate Utah State Legislature, District 59 (Wasatch and Summit Counties). Native Utahn now resident in Heber City. Employed as a PistenBulley groomer machine operator at Deer Valley. I appreciated his grounded, authentic demeanor as a grass roots legislature candidate. He did not like either of the two Heber bypass solutions now on the table. Mark Allen hopes to carry on legacy as state House District 59 representative - Park Record