Daviess County Sheriff Brad Youngman was one of 46 Kentucky delegates at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last week. While he was there to officially cast a vote for Donald Trump to be the party’s presidential nominee, Youngman said there was so much more to the experience, including an overwhelming sense of pride and desire to find unity in a time of division.
“Our country has some issues and I suspect we always will. But the moment we lose that pride that accompanies being an American, we are in trouble,” Youngman said. “We must work on our issues and work with one another for the good of our nation and our people, but we must never lose sight for even one minute of who we are and how grateful we must be for being Americans.”
Youngman said to be considered as a delegate he first had to submit a letter of interest several months ago, then a series of elections are held starting with the county parties and going through the Congressional District. Youngman was eventually notified by the Republican Party of Kentucky he had been elected as one of the three Delegates from the 2nd Congressional District.
As a delegate, Youngman was able to be on the floor and vote at the RNC. He said most of the voting was on day one when they voted on things such as convention rules, adoption of the Republican platform, and the roll call vote for Trump’s nomination
“As far as notable people, there were always several around it seemed,” Youngman said. “I came within feet of Vivek Ramaswamy, Kevin McCarthy, Speaker Mike Johnson, and of course President Trump. Everyone was very approachable and friendly. You could say hi, introduce yourself, shake hands, or take a picture. President Trump however was pretty well separated by a long line of Secret Service, but he waved to people as he walked by.”
Youngman said it was a bit surreal being a part of history, as the national conventions are only held every 4 years and there wasn’t one in 2020.
“When you are there in that room, you can’t help but consider that the control of our nation will continue to go back and forth every 4 to 8 to 12 years from one party to the next just as it always has for a few hundred years,” he said. “But we must remain focused on moving forward together even if that means that we don’t always get exactly what we want. We have to always do what is best for people and even more important, we must learn to respect one another again as we move forward.”
Youngman said there were several notable moments beyond casting his vote.
“The singing of the National Anthem on the final night by Mary Millben was amazing. I have heard the Star Spangled Banner many times and it always evokes a proud reaction in me, but hearing her sing it with all the verses filled me with a tremendous sense of pride,” he said. “Also, seeing President Trump entering the room on the first day and the crowd’s reaction to him being there just 36 hours after the assassination attempt was pretty special. There were also many notable speakers and speeches. but hearing from everyday Americans about their perspectives was quite moving.”
Youngman said the delegates were kept busy each day with pre-convention receptions and functions, followed by the convention from 5:30-10 p.m., and more receptions in the evening that sometimes kept them engaged until about 3 a.m.
“Everyone I met was friendly and unified, and not just unified as a political party but there was a very strong sense of unity for the entire country,” he said. “I truly believe that most people are tired of the division that we have been experiencing and that they just want to work together and move our nation forward.”
As a law enforcement officer, Youngman took special note of the security in place.
“It was impressive,” he said. “There were helicopters hovering over head, police boats patrolling the river that runs alongside Fiserv Forum (where the RNC was held) and police dogs, police on horses, police on bicycles, and groups of uniformed police patrolling everywhere you went. Getting inside took a while but at no time did anyone mention feeling unsafe. Milwaukee was very welcoming and everyone I met was friendly and kind.”
He also made time to speak with other attendees about his role as sheriff.
“I was able to participate in many discussions with delegates from other parts of the country and lend my perspective as a law enforcement officer and military veteran,” he said. “People were genuinely interested in hearing what I had to say on several matters including the southern border, the drug epidemic, and the state of our military readiness. And likewise, it was good to hear their perspective on a variety of issues.”
