A near capacity crowd gathered at the JD. McCarty Center, in Norman, Thursday night at the 8th annual Cleveland County Republican Club Awards Banquet, to get an update on local, state, and national political trends, and to honor a host of Republicans and one Democrat. The Heroism Award went to retired Marine, Brent Link, in recognition of his bold action to stop a man who killed some members of the Link family, and was attempting to kill the entire family. Link, though blind, and wounded by the gunman, moved toward the gunman as the gunman was reloading, and disarmed and disabled the gunman, and held him captive until Norman police arrived at the crime scene in this incident two years ago. The award was presented to Mr. Link by District Attorney, Greg Mashburn. Mashburn’s achievements were recognized by Chad Alexander, the keynote speaker. Alexander pointed out that the year before Mashburn’s election as DA, the conviction rate for crimes charged in Cleveland County was 32%, but after Mashburn’s first year as prosecutor, the conviction rate rose to 80%.

Representative Scott Martin gave a report on the current legistlative session, acknowledging that the Republican majority has had a difficult task putting together the state budget in the light of record revenue shortfalls, but noted they have done so without depleting the state’s Rainy Day Fund, and without increasing taxes in a recession. Representative Paul Wesselhoff of Moore was recognized for the almost unparralled accomplishment of getting seven of his eight proposed bills, passed into law this session.

Bobby and Barbara Cleveland were applauded for their record setting fund raising for Cleveland County candidates, and other acchievements. Sharon Parker, former Cleveland County Republican Chair, and her husband Bruce Parker, were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Volunteer of the Year Awards went to John Ireland, founder of John M. Ireland Funeral Services in Moore, and to Cleveland County Republican Party Treasurer, Melinda Daughtery of Moore. Daugherty is Past President of the Helen Cole Republican Club, and has directed numerous campaigns ranging from local races to county and state races.

Chad Alexander, past State Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, and currently a political consultant, brought news to the gathering of party activist that no incumbent Democrat member of Congress presently has an approval rating of 50% and predicted that Republicans will make major gains in the U.S. Senate and will re-gain control of the House of Representative in November.

But the crowd favorites were former OU football great, Tim Lashar who was the most prolific kicker in Sooner history, and Brent Link, Heroism Award winner. Lasher served as Master of Ceromonies at the banquet, and Link entertained the crowd with news that he is a Democrat, but holds as his hero the late President Ronald Reagan, and added that he is an admirer of both former President George W. Bush, and his father, fromer President H.W. Bush.