By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ERLANGER - Governor-elect Ernie Fletcher wants to thank Northern Kentucky for the overwhelming support he received from the region on Election Day.

And you're invited.

Fletcher will hold a pre-inauguration reception Saturday from 5-7 p.m. at the Metropolitan Education and Training Center, known as the METS Center. The center is in the CirclePort business park, off the Interstate 275 Mineola Pike interchange.

The event is free and open to the public. Fletcher's inauguration is set for Tuesday at 2 p.m. on the steps of the State Capitol in Frankfort.

Saturday's event "is a good chance for Ernie Fletcher and the rest of his campaign team to thank those who worked so hard on his campaign and who supported him in the election," said Kenton County Republican Party Chairman Greg Shumate, who helped coordinate Fletcher's Northern Kentucky campaign.

Fletcher beat Democrat Ben Chandler in the Nov. 4 election, buoyed by a huge 25,000-vote margin in Northern Kentucky.

"We are elated that Ernie is taking the time to come up for this special reception," said Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore, also a key Fletcher supporter and campaign operative.

"It's the result of several things," Moore said. "The tremendous vote margin in the three counties, the amount of money raised (more than $500,000) in the three counties, and the early endorsements of the region's three judge-executives."

Campbell County Judge-executive Steve Pendery and Kenton County Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd also backed Fletcher.

Also Saturday night, the GOP will hold one of its major annual events, the Boone County Republican Party Christmas Dinner. It will be from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Airport Marriott hotel in Hebron.

Kentucky State Sen. Jim Bunning of Southgate is the scheduled featured speaker. For tickets, call (859) 485-7459 or (859) 689-7968.

The dinner is being hosted by Boone County GOP Chairman Ed Moore.

Also scheduled to attend are former governor Louie Nunn, who was the last Republican governor of Kentucky, and two statehouse Republicans - Rep. Charlie Walton of Florence and Sen. Dick Roeding of Lakeside Park - running against one another in next year's GOP state Senate primary.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com