Still recovering from a battle with cancer, Doña Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans has been invited to a March 15 dinner with President Bush in Washington, D.C. to be honored with a Congressional Medal of Distinction from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
The group has also designated Evans as a 2006 Republican of the Year from New Mexico. Evans, who underwent surgery last month to have a cancerous tumor removed from his colon, was also singled out by NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds as the group’s 2006 Businessman of the Year for his work as 2006 honorary chairman of its business advisory council.
In a news release, Reynolds, a Republican representative from Oklahoma, said the awards are given each year “to a select group of Republican business and community leaders from each state who have championed the free-enterprise system and supported the ideals of smaller government, lower taxes and less regulation.”
“I’m real proud and honored and pleased to receive the recognition,” Evans said. “I work real hard, and if they recognize it, that’s nice.”
Evans said he will be able to attend the dinner despite his recent surgery.
He made his first public appearance since the surgery on Monday with Gov. Bill Richardson and others at Vista Middle School in Las Cruces to endorse the proposed gross receipts tax increase to help fund Spaceport America.
Despite receiving such recognition from Republicans, Evans is generally considered a moderate who works well with most members of both parties. During the appearance with Richardson earlier this week, Evans endorsed the Democratic governor’s candidacy for president, saying he is the best candidate from either party who has entered the 2008 race thus far.
Still recovering from a battle with cancer, Doña Ana County Commissioner Kent Evans has been invited to a March 15 dinner with President Bush in