The Republican Party of Franklin County has announced that 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines will speak as part of a fundraiser for the party Thursday at the Franklin County Convention Center in Hampton.
Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer, gained national attention when she competed against University of Pennsylvania transgender athlete, Lia Thomas, during the 2022 NCAA swimming and diving championships. Thomas would win an NCAA Championship that year.
Franklin County Republican Party Co-Chair Kent Craighton on why the party selected Gaines to speak this Thursday.
“We have central committee meetings once a month and we try to do these events for a fundraiser every year. We started about five years ago and we had Steve Deace, we had Matt Whitaker the following year, and then we skipped a year. And then we had Sheriff Lamb up here last year. We’ve been kind of building it every year. It’s been getting bigger for us and it’s been more exciting. So this year we were trying to brainstorm who we could bring in as a keynote. And of course Riley Gaines has been in the news a lot with her, you know, her objectives to try to keep biological men out of women’s sports and she’s been promoting that all across America. She’s been with president Trump numerous times with this issue. And so, uh, we decided we were looking to bring in somebody that is relevant and current with the issues going on. so her name came up and we were able to reach out to some of her contact people and make the arrangements.”
Gaines will talk about her experiences and fellow female athletes’ experiences about competing against transgender athletes. Craighton says they expect to see a lot of people in attendance on Thursday.
“So we’ll be bringing in Republicans and Conservatives from across North Iowa. We’ve even had some feedback from some of the committees down in Des Moines area that are interested in coming up and seeing Riley. So I think it’s going to be very successful for us. You know, we’re hoping for a packed house and having a lot of fun that night. We’ve got a couple other people coming in, two other dignitaries. So Senator (Dennis) Guth will be here with us. Shannon Latham, our representative will be here with us. We’ve also got Attorney General Brenna Bird will be here with us that evening. And Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig is committed to coming that night. So we’re going to have a lot of people for them to talk to and visit with. And of course the program we anticipate having a full house for Riley Gaines, and we’re going to really try to support her.”
Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. To purchase tickets you can call 641-648-2046 or 641-425-2363. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. Thursday. The program starts at 6:30. You can also purchase tickets here.
Full press release from the Franklin County Republican Party here;
“She never expected to be here…
But Riley Gaines is coming to Hampton, Iowa, on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
‘I thought I’d be in dental school right now, not fighting for what used to be considered common sense and basic freedoms,’ says Gaines on The Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute website. ‘As I approached the end of my collegiate swimming career at the University of Kentucky, the trajectory of my life changed.’
In 2022, a “new swimmer” by the name of Lia Thomas emerged onto the collegiate swimming scene. Thomas broke record after record. Lia Thomas was formerly known as Will Thomas, who swam for three years on the men’s team at the University of Pennsylvania where Gaines says he was “mediocre at best” before switching to the women’s team his senior year.
Determined not to idly sit by as a man stole female athletes’ records, Gaines became a pro-woman advocate.
‘The Republican Party of Franklin County is excited to announce that 12-time, NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines will speak in Hampton, Iowa, on Thursday, April 3, at the Franklin County Convention Center beginning at 6:30 p.m.,’ says Larry Sailer, chairman, The Republican Party of Franklin County. ‘Riley is a leading advocate for saving women’s sports and the author of ‘Swimming Against the Current’.’
Gaines’ experience of competing against a biological male, who identified as a female, has made her a leading advocate in protecting and defending women’s sports. Gaines was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She attended the University of Kentucky on a swimming scholarship. She worked hard to become a champion swimmer and will tell of her experiences – and her fellow female athletes’ experiences – having to compete and share locker rooms with biological males.
While speaking at San Francisco State University in 2023, Gaines was held against her will for three hours and was physically struck by protesters. She also appeared as a witness at a 2023 U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. In March 2024, Gaines was one of 16 female student athletes who launched a legal case against the NCAA over the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports. In August 2024, Gaines announced the launch of The Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia. Today she is the host of the “Gaines for Girls” podcast and is a frequent guest on Fox News, as well as on other media outlets.
Gaines will speak on April 3 in Franklin County. Doors to the Franklin County Convention Center open at 5:45 p.m., and the program begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door. Multiple tickets can be bought in advance for $45 apiece. A limited number of $25 tickets are available to junior and senior high school students. The event will feature a light meal and cash bar. Those seeking to purchase tickets may buy online at: https://goevents101.com/franklincountygop or call Larry Sailer at 641-648-2046.”
