Chairman's Chat

Rob Linebarger

Chair@SpokaneGOP.com

A Christmas Reflection on Faith, Family, and Hope

This Christmas, as lights twinkle and carols rise, we pause to remember the deeper light that guides us—the light of faith. In a world often shadowed by uncertainty, faith reminds us that love endures, grace abounds, and the promise of a better day is never far.

We gather with family, whether near or in spirit, to celebrate the bonds that sustain us. Around tables and firesides, in laughter and quiet prayer, we rediscover the strength of togetherness. These moments—simple, sacred—are gifts that no season can dim.

And we hold fast to hope. Hope that tomorrow will be kinder, that healing will come, that peace will find its way into every heart. The birth we celebrate is not just a story of long ago—it is a living promise: that light shines in darkness, and the darkness shall not overcome it.

So let us rejoice. Let us give thanks. Let us extend kindness to neighbor and stranger alike. For in doing so, we honor the spirit of Christmas—not just in December, but in every day we choose love over fear, and hope over despair.

Merry Christmas, and may the coming days be filled with light.

God Bless,

Follow Jenna Ellis

Jenna Ellis to Headline 2026 Lincoln Day Gala

The Spokane County Republican Party is honored to announce Jenna Ellis, former attorney for President Trump and host of Jenna Ellis in the Morning on the American Family Radio Network as our 2026 Lincoln Day keynote speaker. 

Jenna attended Cedarville University, where she earned a B.A., followed by a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School. Her early interest in law began at age 14, influenced by her father's political involvement. She was raised in an environment that prioritized biblical principles, which later informed her work with organizations like the James Dobson Family Institute, focused on promoting marriage, family, and child development. 

Jenna is a pro-life champion who starts and finishes her daily program with a message to support Preborn’s mission, “To Glorify Jesus Christ by Leading and Equipping Pregnancy Clinics to Save More Babies and Souls,” one ultrasound at a time.

In an era where the future of our nation, community and culture hangs in the balance, Jenna has stood and continues to stand as a fearless advocate for truth, dignity, and principled leadership.

Jenna’s unwavering commitment to justice and liberty echoes the timeless wisdom of leaders past; the courage to stand alone, the strength to make hard decisions, and the compassion to serve others. As Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Jenna Ellis embodies this “measure.”

In a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Jenna Ellis stood tall for justice, truth, and the Constitution. As President Trump’s attorney following the contested 2020 Presidential Election, she demonstrated unwavering courage and conviction—defending the integrity of our electoral system and the foundational principles of our Constitutional Republic.

While many remained silent or retreated under pressure, Jenna chose the harder path: to speak boldly, act fearlessly, and uphold the rule of law. Her resolve in the face of media hostility, professional risk, and personal sacrifice is a testament to the kind of moral courage our country and community so desperately needs.

Jenna’s keynote will be more than a speech—it will be a rallying cry and a call to conscience. A challenge to rise, speak, and peacefully act to preserve what we hold most dear—Faith, Family and Freedom.

Please join us in welcoming Jenna for what promises to be an inspiring and unforgettable evening. 

Follow Coach Joe Kennedy

Coach Joe Kennedy Joins the Lincoln Day Lineup

The Spokane County Republican Party is honored to announce Joe Kennedy will join us as a Featured Speaker at Lincoln Day 2026.

He was just an “average” high school football coach in a small Washington town—until he dropped to one knee after a game for 30 seconds of silent prayer. That single act of faith and gratitude, which many of us believe was God’s Divine Plan, cost Coach Joe Kennedy his job and then launched one of the biggest religious-liberty victories in decades.

From a challenging childhood in foster homes and sleeping in broken-into cars, to 20 years honorably serving our country as a United States Marine, Joe never knew God.  

An atheist until becoming a Christian in his 30s, through the influence and prayers of his wife Denise Joe made a covenant with God:  “Give me my wife and family, and I’ll give You everything.” That promise changed not only his life, but all of ours as well.

For eight years following each game, Coach Kennedy jogged unnoticed to midfield, took a knee and gave thanks. Then one admiring phone call from another school to deliver a compliment  detonated into a national firestorm. 

The school district demanded he pray in secret—or not at all. Coach Joe refused, was fired, vilified, and dragged through seven years of court battles. Finally, he stood before the Supreme Court and won a 6–3 decision, restoring the right of every American to live their faith publicly.

Coach Joe’s Faith, Family, and Freedom journey is amazingly captured in the Movie Average Joe (released October 2024) and now in his inspirational book Average Joe—One Man’s Faith and the Fight to Change a Nation by Joe Kennedy with Stephanie Katz.

Please join us in welcoming Coach Joe Kennedy at the March 21, 2026 Lincoln Day Gala at The Davenport Grand Ballroom for what promises to be an inspiring and unforgettable evening. 

Lund's Carpet Cleaning

Serving the Greater Spokane Community for 26 Years

Open Letter from Owner Operator Ben Lund and his wife Deanne to our Spokane County GOP members and supporters.

I want to begin by expressing my appreciation for each of you — for your dedication, your time, and your ongoing work to help shape policy, support candidates, and strengthen our community. It is encouraging to stand alongside people who believe, as I do, that service and involvement matter.

Thank you to the Spokane County GOP for the opportunity to share a little about myself, my family, and our business, Lund’s Carpet Cleaning.

My wife Deann and I both grew up in Montana — she in Darby, and I in Kalispell. Deann earned her degree as a Medical Tech, while I graduated from Oregon State University with a major in Business Administration (Marketing & Agricultural Economics) and a minor in General Science. I worked my way through school, and those early years shaped the work ethic we’ve built our lives and business upon.

After college, I managed a Cenex farm store in Ronan, MT, which is where Deann and I met. Life took us through several career paths — insurance, and later 11 years with a high-tech company in Hayden, Idaho (Transtector Systems). After 9/11, projects slowed, and after a year, 25 of us were released.

Thankfully, I had already begun carpet cleaning part-time with guidance from a friend of mine at Transtector who, like me, was laid off and returned to the carpet cleaning industry. It’s unusual to have a mentor who is also a competitor, but his approach was one of paying it forward, and I’ve always appreciated that example. I learned early that when outflow exceeds inflow, you adapt — or you sink.

That unexpected change became the door to something better.

Today, Deann and I are beginning our 26th year in business with Lund’s Carpet Cleaning, LLC, proudly serving Spokane and surrounding areas. We love working with people, we run on referrals, and we’ve been blessed with loyal customers who have trusted us for decades. We look forward to earning your business as well.

Thank you for your time, your service, and your continued commitment to our county and state.
It is an honor to serve alongside you.

Warm regards,
Ben & Deann Lund
Lund’s Carpet Cleaning, LLC

Founding Father Roger Sherman

The Indispensable Founder from Connecticut has Spokane Roots

Inspired by Kim De Lisle, descendant of Founding Father Roger Sherman

Born April 19, 1721, in Newton, Massachusetts, Roger Sherman rose from humble shoemaker’s son to become the only American to sign all four great state papers of the founding era: the Continental Association (1774), the Declaration of Independence (1776), the Articles of Confederation (1777), and the U.S. Constitution (1787).

Self-educated and largely self-made, Sherman moved to New Milford, Connecticut, in 1743, working as a cobbler, surveyor, and merchant while devouring law books by candlelight.

Admitted to the bar in 1754, he quickly became a justice of the peace, then Connecticut legislator, and by 1766 a judge of the Superior Court—serving simultaneously in multiple roles, a common New England practice he later defended.

A reluctant revolutionary who initially sought reconciliation with Britain, Sherman joined the First Continental Congress in 1774 and emerged as a workhorse of independence.

Quiet, plainspoken, and allergic to grand oratory, he earned John Adams’s praise as “one of the most sensible men in the world.”

At the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the 66-year-old Sherman brokered the Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise), giving equal state representation in the Senate and population-based representation in the House—saving the Convention from collapse. He also helped craft the Three-Fifths Compromise and staunchly opposed including a Bill of Rights, believing enumerated powers already limited federal overreach (a stance he reversed when ratification demanded it).

Sherman served as New Haven’s mayor, Connecticut senator, and finally U.S. Senator until his death on July 23, 1793. Frugal, devoutly Calvinist, and allergic to ostentation, he signed the Constitution with his characteristic cramped handwriting and returned home to resume his duties without fanfare.

James Madison called him “a man who never said a foolish thing in his life.” In an age of brilliant prima donnas, Roger Sherman was the indispensable, rock-steady citizen-statesman who stitched a fractious nation together—one practical compromise at a time.

As we enter the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the Founding of this great nation, we encourage you to visit Whitehouse.gov-America250 to learn more about Patriots like Roger Sherman. 

Young Republican Roundup