Photo by Miranda Sebroski U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, speaks at the Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner.

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, said he believes the nation’s best days are still ahead while delivering the keynote address during the Belmont County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner.

“I don’t believe all of the biggest discoveries have been made yet. God is very big and he has given us a little bit of time to deal with,” Johnson said Thursday at Undo’s in St. Clairsville. “I think there are big discoveries out there that we can not even imagine. Think about where we have come from and where we are.”

Johnson represents Ohio’s 6th District in the southeastern part of the state. He spent plenty of time Thursday lauding President Donald Trump. Johnson said during Trump’s presidency, Belmont County has had an unemployment rate of 5.3 percent. In 2011, under President Barack Obama, it was 11.9 percent, Johnson said.

Johnson also made a point to talk about the U.S. being heavily in debt. He said that President Trump has began to turn that back through a number of different ways.

Johnson started the speech by saying how much he admired what officials in Ohio are doing for the state. He then transitioned into talking about President Abraham Lincoln to compare how divided the country is now to the time of the Civil War. Johnson also discussed how innovation in the U.S. has been lacking since the 1970s, with the iPhone and internet being the biggest changes.

Other speakers Thursday included Belmont County GOP Chairman Chris Gagin and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy. Other attendees included state Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction, Belmont County Court of Common Pleas Judge Frank Fregiato, St. Clairsville Mayor Terry Pugh, Belmont County Sheriff Dave Lucas and Murray Energy Corp. Chairman, President and CEO Robert E. Murray.

“We are standing strong and firm for our national anthem, for liberty, our military and veterans, and for President Trump,” Gagin said. “We need to protect our economy and our homeland. That is what all of you believe and that is what we are here for.”

He then went on to say how proud he was to hear from the voices who are shaping the U.S, and Ohio. Praising Johnson, Gagin went on to say he is happy that Johnson is the voice of the Republicans on Capitol Hill. Johnson is running for another term and with midterm elections coming up this fall, Republicans attending the dinner were urged by Gagin to vote in a way that will contribute positively to the future.

Kennedy took the podium after Gagin and gave a speech about the history of government and Republicans in the U.S.

“We will hear much this year about our representative branch. The men and women who will represent us in Washington, D.C and in Columbus will ensure that our voices are heard,” she said.