Competing Republican candidates for governor, state treasurer, and secretary of state are on the roster for the Lucas County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner Monday night, but not GOP Senate candidate Josh Mandel.

Mr. Mandel’s name appeared on the list of guest speakers April 8, but disappeared a week later.

It turned out that Mr. Mandel has another engagement the following day. He is scheduled to speak Tuesday to the Republican Jewish Coalition in Philadelphia on “The Road to 2018.”

Mr. Mandel is running for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sherrod Brown, a Democrat. When Mr. Mandel ran unsuccessfully in 2012, he received contributions of $103,750 from the Republican Jewish Coalition, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Lucas County GOP Chairman Jon Stainbrook said he based his initial statement that Mr. Mandel would be there on a text from Mr. Mandel’s scheduler saying that Mr. Mandel probably would be able to attend.

“It’s a tempest in a teapot, and accident with his scheduler. Josh is fine, he’ll be back. No one is concerned about him going to Philadelphia over Lucas County at all,” Mr. Stainbrook said. “I would love for Josh Mandel to be here. Nobody wants him to beat Sherrod Brown more than me. If he has some other commitment I understand.”

The Mandel campaign said Mr. Stainbrook was informed in an email in March that Mr. Mandel had an event conflict.

Another change to the April 8 list of speakers is the addition of Toledo Councilman Tom Waniewski who last week announced his plan to run for mayor this year.

Asked by The Blade to confirm that he would be in attendance Mr. Waniewski emailed back, “I am going to dinner, Tom.”

Headlining the event as keynote speaker will be author J.D. Vance, who is attempting to build on the success of his 2016 book Hillbilly Elegy to create a movement to address Ohio’s problems.

Also speaking are the two candidates aiming for the GOP nomination for governor in 2018 — Jim Renacci, a wealthy businessman and congressman from the Akron area, and Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. Two other likely Republican candidates, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and Secretary of State Jon Husted, are not attending.

The Taylor campaign said she had a prior obligation in Cincinnati, but purchased a table of tickets for Taylor volunteers. The Husted campaign did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Mr. Husted has been at political odds with Mr. Stainbrook, having removed him in 2014 from the Lucas County Board of Elections.

The party fund-raiser, for which tickets are still available, according to Mr. Stainbrook, is set for a 6 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. dinner and program at the Pinnacle, 1772 Indian Wood Circle, Maumee.

“It’s going to be a nice event. It always is,” Mr. Stainbrook said.

Mr. Vance said in a recent interview with The Blade that he is organizing a group called Our Ohio Renewal to tackle Ohio problems such as heroin addiction and family breakdown. The goal, he said: “to transition from talking about problems to solutions.”

Mr. Vance’s memoir about his life in rural Ohio and eastern Kentucky provided insight into wealthy New York businessman Donald Trump’s appeal to the struggling white working class.

“We’re still identifying the things that we want to work on,” Mr. Vance said. “We have some money. The book gives me access to a lot of folks who are interested in philanthropy.”

“I’m going to talk about the fact that we have a problem with opportunity and upward mobility,” Mr. Vance said.

He said he’ll talk about President Trump if he’s asked questions, but said it’s too early to draw conclusions.

Statewide candidates on the guest list are Franklin County Auditor Clarence Mingo and State Rep. Robert Sprague (R., Findlay), who are running for state treasurer, along with state Sen. Frank LaRose (R., Fairlawn) and state Rep. Dorothy Pelanda (R., Marysville), who are running for secretary of state.

Also expected are a number of local Republican officeholders.

Tickets to the event are $75 for an individual and $850 to reserve a table for 10. Tickets for the chairman’s reception and dinner are $350 for an individual and $5,000 for a table, according to information from the party.

Contact Tom Troy: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058 or on Twitter @TomFTroy.

First Published April 22, 2017, 5:24 a.m.