A year ago, on Aug. 6, 2015, millions of curious Americans tuned into the first televised Republican presidential debate of the election season.
Back then, no one knew that the candidate who emerged as the star of a debate that smashed ratings records would a year later walk into the same Cleveland arena to accept the GOP nomination for president.
That debate was the first glimpse of the coming year in Republican presidential politics with Donald Trump at the helm of the party's ship.
To mark the extraordinary time since that first debate, WCPO.com asked local Republicans to sum up the year in politics -- in just one sentence.
Tweet us @WCPO or go to our Facebook page to tell us how you would describe this election season in one sentence.
Here’s what they said:
Kellie Wise
Kellie Wise with Ohio Republican Chairman Matt Borges at the RNC Convention in July 2016.
Brad Johnson
Local young Republicans Brad Johnson and Cody Rizzuto campaign for John Kasich ahead of the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 9, 2016.
Tim Derickson
Nancy Nix
Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix at the Republican National Convention with Ohio state Rep. Tim Derickson.
Greg Hartmann
Greg Hartmann, then president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, welcomes everyone to the Republican presidential debate watch party at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse in on Wednesday Sept. 16, 2015.
Doug Moormann
Doug Moormann, vice president of Development Strategies Group, making calls for John Kasich ahead of the Michigan primary in early March 2016.
Alana Tucker
Alana Tucker, co-chair of Hamilton County Republican Party Leadership Council, at the 2016 GOP Convention in Cleveland.
Gary Cates
Jim Benedict, Doug Moormann and Gary Cates going door to door ahead of the Michigan primary to campaign for John Kasich in early March 2016.
Chip Gerhardt
Greg Hartmann, Alex Triantafilou and Chip Gerhardt watching the RNC Convention from the John Kasich suite in July 2016.
Joshua Burton
Joshua Burton, chairman of Greater Cincinnati Young Republicans, with former GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio.
Jeffrey Pastor
Jeffrey Pastor, a young Republican and candidate for Cincinnati City Council.
Zac Haines
Zac Haines, president of Symmes-Loveland Republican Club, at a pancake breakfast in March 2016 where John Kasich spoke.
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