Sonora, CA — Candidate for Governor Steve Hilton, Congressman Tom McClintock, Supervisor candidate Juli Healy, a trio of current supervisors, and others gave addresses at the 2026 Reagan Dinner hosted by the Tuolumne County Republican Party.
The event was held at the Chicken Ranch Casino Resort throughout early Saturday afternoon and into the evening. Many of the speakers highlighted the work of the namesake of the event, Ronald Reagan, the former President and California Governor, and stated that what he stood for is currently “under attack.”
The theme was “Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary & Building Momentum Toward Election Day.”
Matt Kiolbassa, Tuolumne County GOP Chair, delivered the opening welcome, followed by an invocation from Pastor Dave Atkins of Anchor 242 Church, and the pledge of allegiance led by former Tuolumne County Supervisor and veteran Karl Rodefer.
There was then a buffet dinner, followed by several keynote speeches. The first group was Tuolumne County Supervisors Steve Griefer, Anaiah Kirk and Mike Holland. They together highlighted “Proven Results for a Stronger Tuolumne County.” They made points about having a $10 million budget surplus, $3 million to pave 25+ miles of neighborhood roads, fentanyl deaths reduced from 18 annually to 1, having three dedicated sheriff’s office school resource officers, paying down debt, and reducing the size of government by 10%.
They also introduced and praised the next speaker, District Two Supervisor candidate Juli Healy. She spoke about her background in Tuolumne County, being a business owner, and what she would bring to the role. She also praised the virtues of Ronald Reagan.
Congressman Tom McClintock followed and highlighted the work of President Donald Trump and other Republicans, citing the Big Beautiful Bill, border security, and forestry related issues. He voiced concerns about socialism and its backing by several national politicians. He argued that the 10 states leading on affordability issues are led by Republicans, and the 10 that are the most unaffordable are led by Democrats.
He was followed by the main speaker, Republican candidate for Governor Steve Hilton, who stressed the importance of the upcoming election. Hilton stated that early polls had him down by as many as 20-plus percentage points, but the latest numbers are closer to 8-percent.
He said, “We can’t let California go down. California means to America what America means to the World. It is a symbol of everything that is magnificent about this country; Freedom, optimism, energy, and the rebel spirit. That’s California. That’s the flame we need to relight. And we will.”
He continued, “We’ve got the best weather, the most magnificent landscapes, the best people, and the best farmland of anywhere in the World. And our farmers are going to be getting the water that they need when I’m Governor. We’ve got everything we need in this state, except for a good Governor, and very soon we will have that as well.”
After Hilton was comedian Michael Loftus, who told jokes centered around being a conservative, and Trump supporter, in Hollywood.
Supervisor Griefer hosted the live auction toward the end of the night. Some of the items available ranged from a Make America Great Again hat signed by President Trump to a tour of the US Capitol with Congressman McClintock. There were also various items donated by several local businesses. In addition, there was a miniature fire hydrant signed by supervisors Holland, Kirk and Griefer that was jokingly referencing a recent Grand Jury report related to a project that Supervisor Holland did as a private citizen. The three majority members took issue with many of the Grand Jury findings. The fire hydrant was purchased by a member of the Grand Jury, who was at the event as a private citizen, for $600.
Hundreds were on hand for the dinner, which spanned about five hours. The Republican Party also handed out voter guides with arguments about local, state and federal races, along with recommendations about California ballot measures.
Click on the image box to view several pictures.
