By Phil Orenstein
Our 151st Anniversary Lincoln Dinner is right around the corner, and it is shaping up to be the most spectacular patriotic gala our club has ever hosted. This year’s dinner is more than an annual tradition—it is a celebration of America’s 250th birthday and a defining moment for the future of New York State. On Sunday, March 1st, at Antun’s of Queens Village, we have the opportunity to come together, pack the grand ballroom at Antun’s, and ignite a movement.
The highlight of the evening will be our keynote speaker, Bruce Blakeman, who was officially nominated as the Republican candidate for Governor of New York at the recent GOP Convention in Garden City. Anyone who witnessed that convention felt the electricity in the room. The crowd was fired up as Bruce laid out a bold, optimistic vision to save the Empire State—one rooted in safety, freedom, prosperity, and common sense. That same energy will fill the room at our Lincoln Dinner as we kick off the campaign to win Queens and downstate New York.
In a surprise moment at the convention, President Trump delivered a rousing video endorsement of Bruce Blakeman, praising his leadership and record in Nassau County. Under Bruce’s watch, Nassau hired hundreds of new police officers and became the safest county in America—a remarkable achievement and a powerful model for what New York State can once again become. As governor, Bruce has pledged to fight to grow the economy, cut taxes, roll back job-killing regulations, protect New York industry, and bring businesses and good-paying jobs back to our state.
The contrast could not be clearer. Just across the border from Queens sits Nassau County—one of the best-run counties in the nation—while New York City continues to suffer under failed progressive policies and disastrous Democrat socialist leadership. Under Governor Hochul, the exodus from New York has accelerated, with the state on track to lose two congressional seats in the next census. New York City has been the epicenter of that out-migration, while Nassau has become one of the most desirable places to live in America.
People vote with their feet. Families are choosing Nassau for its safety, security, thriving arts and cultural institutions, vibrant downtowns, charming neighborhoods, and some of the top-performing schools in the country. They are also choosing freedom—freedom from the war on cars, congestion pricing, speed cameras, useless bike lanes, and suffocating regulations that have made daily life in New York City increasingly difficult. Anyone who crosses from Queens into Floral Park, New Hyde Park, or Bellerose feels it immediately: a breath of freedom, a sense of relief, order, and quality of life that has all but vanished on the other side of the border.
Bruce Blakeman’s leadership made that difference. Nassau stood strong against unconstitutional COVID mandates, keeping businesses open and communities alive while neighboring areas suffered devastating shutdowns. He signed the Mask Transparency Act to protect public safety and common sense. Restaurants in Nassau were open and thriving, while on the Queens side, across Jericho Turnpike, restaurants struggled with the enforced lockdown mandates and some shut their doors for good, like our favorite watering hole, the beloved Triple Crown Diner.
New York City was overwhelmed by a chaotic migrant crisis with hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants flooding in, and 1000’s ending up housed at Creedmoor Hospital grounds, that devastated communities near the Queens–Nassau border. However, on the Nassau side, Blakeman maintained a strict law enforced wall of protection keeping the illegal migrants and criminal aliens out of Nassau’s peaceful and charming towns and villages.
Nassau’s excellence extends to education as well. Its schools consistently rank among the best in New York State and the nation. Nearly half of New York’s top Westinghouse—now Regeneron Science Talent Search—scholars come from Nassau schools, and the county holds a national record for academic achievement. Bruce Blakeman also led the nation by signing legislation to protect girls’ sports, with the first in the nation ban on transgender athletes from participating in girls’ sports at Nassau County facilities, ensuring fairness and integrity in athletic competition.
Imagine what this kind of leadership can do statewide. As governor, Bruce Blakeman can restore New York to greatness—making our state safe, affordable, energy-rich, prosperous, and free once again. The governor’s office wields tremendous influence over education policy, CUNY and SUNY trustee appointments, public safety, economic development, and the overall direction of the state. With the right leadership, New York can once again be a place where families thrive, businesses grow, and excellence is rewarded.
That is why the 151st Anniversary Lincoln Dinner matters so much. This is the night we come together to energize the movement, inspire our friends and neighbors, and send a clear message that New York’s comeback has begun. Our program reflects the significance of the moment. We are proud to welcome master of ceremonies Joe the Box, founder of the America First Warehouse; Monsignor Robert Romano, Assistant Chief Chaplain of the NYPD, who will deliver the invocation; and our Investigative Journalist of the Year, Lara Logan.
We will also honor John Eastman as Freedom Fighter of the Year; Jimmy Wagner as Legal Advocate for All New Yorkers; Christian rap artist Shawn DVS 7.0 Olivo as Christian Conservative Artist of the Year; and St. John’s University student Massimo Guerriero, recipient of the Charlie Kirk Courage Award. This is one of the most inspiring and electrifying rosters of speakers and honorees we have ever assembled.
Now is the time to act. Make your plans to attend the 151st Anniversary Lincoln Dinner. Take advantage of the special club member discount pricing and Early Bird rates, and bring your friends and family. Let’s pack the ballroom, celebrate America’s 250th birthday, and be part of the movement to take back New York State. On March 1st, history, patriotism, and purpose come together in one room. Be there—and help us launch New York’s historic comeback.
Buy Tickets: https://parteaevents.com/event/queens-village-republican-club-151st-anniversary-lincoln-dinner
