January 2026 President's Message

January 2026

Thank you to all who attended our PVRW Luncheon on Thursday, January 8, 2026, our Kickoff luncheon for 2026 and the revitalization of our 2026 Campaign Train.  Our special guests included 4 of our current Superior Court Judges running for re-election, 1 Attorney running for Superior Court Judge, and our Caring for America speaker from A Safe Place.

Our Luncheon meeting was called to order by President Lauren Hawkins, followed by a Blessing for 2026 led by Chaplain Anne Roper and the Pledge of Allegiance to this great country of ours led by our 3^rd VP, Ways & Means, Mary Ann Dellinger.  

After the introductions and meeting kickoff, the Dignitaries and Guests who joined us for the luncheon were introduced.  President Lauren Hawkins provided an inspiring message, focused on PVRW Goals for 2026, as follows:

“I hope you all had a very blessed and happy Holiday Season with your family and friends and are now looking forward to what 2026 will bring!  We are starting the 2^nd week of the year, and already much has happened on both foreign and domestic fronts.  However, we are 7 months away from the Arizona Primaries and as Republicans, it is our mission to ensure Arizona stays “RED” at all levels of government. To start off the year, I thought it would be prudent to quickly review and revitalize our Club Objectives as stated in our Bylaws with our membership.  

The objectives of PVRW shall be to:

1. Increase the effectiveness of Republican women in the cause of good government;

2. Promote the principles of the Republican Party;

3. Work for the election of Republican candidates in all elections;

4. Foster loyalty to the Republican party at all levels of government;

5. Inform the public through political education and activity;

6. Support the objectives and policies of the Republican National Committee; and

7. Disseminate information to all members.

So in keeping with these objectives into 2026, I would like offer some thoughts to everyone, that sets the stage for our 2026 goals.  First, the “P” in PVRW stands for “Purpose.”  Let’s all commit to finding our Purpose this year and to determining how we personally will participate in this very important election cycle.  We all have various talents and time that we can devote to ensuring Arizona stays Red.  

Second, the “V” stands for “Vote.”  It’s extremely important that we all exercise our right to vote and not be complacent about the 2026 election.  Do your part by learning about the candidates, asking questions, digging into the details, and ensuring you put a mark next to every Republican candidate of your choice at every level on the ballot. And then help to educate those you come in contact with regarding exercising their right to vote as well. Yavapai County had a spectacular Republican showing in 2024, a Presidential election year, of well over 90%.  Let’s do it again in 2026!

Third, the “R” stands for “Recruit.”  We all have friends, family, and neighbors who we can help to understand the ramifications of this midterm election, provide knowledge and guidance about what is at stake and share information about the Republican candidates.  Many people are moving into this area, who are not familiar with our local and state politics, and we can all be a great help to them as they look forward to voting.  Talk to them, enjoy a cup of coffee, and sit down with them to see what their talents may also be to participate in this endeavor.  And enthusiastically share your knowledge and experience with them.

Fourth and final is “W”, which stands for “WIN!!”  Our collective objective is to successfully elect Republican candidates at the state and local levels, who we strongly believe will be the best options to serve us in Arizona.  And once the Primary on August 4^th is over, it is imperative that we unite and rally around those Republicans who have won, who are marching on to the General Election on November 3^rd, and who will be victorious as a result.  Let’s all do our part to keep Arizona RED and “Make Arizona Great Again!”  Thank you for listening!”

We then proceeded directly to Club Business as follows:

• Lynda Malloy, the PVRW Treasurer, provided an update on our financial position as of December 2025 as well as a summary of January through December 2025. Our financial position as a club continues to be healthy and strong, and we appreciate the continued support of our membership.  

• Sue Garvey, 1^st VP of Programs, summarized the program for the luncheon. Sue updated us on the exciting program plans for the next few months of 2026.

• Maura Martindale, 2^nd VP of Membership, summarized 2025 PVRW membership and then supplied current 2026 membership to date.  We are just over a total of 120 members at this point.  She also encouraged members and non-members to approach her with any questions, which she will gladly answer.

• Mary Ann Dellinger, 3^rd VP of Ways & Means, shared initial thoughts regarding fundraising activities in 2026.  Plans are in the works for 2 events in the Spring and 2 events in the Fall.  The See’s Candies online fundraiser will begin soon for Valentine’s Day.  She encouraged the membership to share ideas and also to volunteer on the Committee.

• Linda Letzer, Literacy/Education Chair, shared her “Books in Kids Hands” initiative, where PVRW is partnering with HUSD to provide books throughout the year to kids within our community.  A box will be provided at each luncheon to collect the new or gently used books for our students.  Linda provided a flyer describing the types of books being accepted.  For more information, please contact Linda.

Our Caring for America organization for January is A Safe Place. Donna Hoch provided a touching description of the efforts this organization is providing to the Prescott Valley homeless community.  She also explained how their van goes out to minister to homeless individuals on a regular basis.  In addition, they have established a Drop-in Center that provides a place of respite and refreshment.  More information is available on their website:  https://www.asafeplacepv.org/.

The next segment of the meeting focused on Introductions to each Judge and Judge candidate, giving each an opportunity to present themselves, their experience and their platforms.  We had a wonderful opportunity to observe each judge and learn more about them individually.  This was followed by a Judge Panel, consisting of Honorable Michael McGill (Division 1), Honorable John D. Napper (Division 2 and Presiding Judge), Honorable Henry Whitmer (Division 5), Honorable Anna Young (Division 6), and Attorney Josh Buttner, Candidate for Division 3 Judge.  Several prepared questions were asked, along with a few questions, including:

• What motivated you to pursue a career as a judge?

• Can you describe a typical workload for a judge?

• How would you handle the situation of a Democrat being voted in as a judge?

This segment was very educational and enlightening, with each judge putting their own spin on the answers.  It was clearly a special opportunity to get up close and personal with these judges, as well as support them in their re-election campaigns.  

Finally, we extended our appreciation once again to Donna Stehower and her wonderful staff who served a delicious meal to us, and to Luke Cilano operating the audio/visual equipment for us.  The Arizona Rangers are now back with us as we move through 2026 and into candidate season once again.  They are always appreciative of your generous donations to keep us safe and secure.  

Thank you for your continued support of Prescott Valley Republican Women.  Our next luncheon will take place on Thursday, February 5th, so mark your calendars.  We look forward to seeing you then!