HARRISONBURG, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Virginia State Senator Mark Obenshain hosted the 19th annual “Oysters with Obenshain” event Tuesday night at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg.

This year marks the third time in the event’s existence that it has been sold out. Obenshain has a theory as to why the event has had such a high turnout in recent years.

“It’s not really because of me or our statewide elected officials,” Obenshain said. “It’s really the enthusiasm over the upcoming election this year, people are fired up and I think the crowd this year has as much to do with that as anything else.”

The event also featured several other prominent Virginia republicans, including Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and US senate candidate Hung Cao, who is running against incumbent Tim Kaine. Youngkin was the event’s keynote speaker, following his appearance at Shamrock Farms earlier that day.

Youngkin mentioned the new investment by the dairy manufacturer to its Augusta County facility while noting the economic growth Virginia has seen during his tenure.

“Businesses have committed $80 billion to build stuff and hire people in Virginia, and I just came from Augusta County and we had the great privilege of celebrating Shamrock Farms, investing another $59 million in Augusta County,” Youngkin said.

Obenshain added that this year’s event was a massive success for not only garnering more support for the upcoming Nov. 5 election, but also keeping constituents excited for election cycles to come with previews of other Republican candidates.