Mack “Dutch” Guest IV used his announced Meet and Greet at Wire Park in Watkinsville on Friday evening to mingle with what seemed to be a largely supportive crowd, shake hands, talk to the children, and chat informally.
The Republican candidate, who is seeking to represent Oconee County in state House District 121, wore a white polo shirt with his name stenciled in small letters on its chest and khaki shorts as he strolled the courtyard, casually interacting with people who approached him.
Guest did not make any formal presentation, and he did not pass out campaign materials.
Guest’s team had set up a table off to the side, near the Oconee Library, that contained campaign material, including yard signs, but the table generated little attention.
Guest was joined by fellow Republicans Houston Gaines, currently representing Oconee County in the 120th House District, and Ward Black, who is seeking to follow Gaines in that spot.
Gaines is the Republican Party nominee for Congressional District 10 in the November elections.
Oconee County Democratic Party Chair Harold Thompson had questioned the decision by Wire Park to allow the political event, saying it was at odds with policy he had been told applied at the venue.
Thompson was not at Wire Park on Friday evening, and no one at the event was engaged in counter programming or visibly supporting any of the Democratic Party candidates.
Oconee Key
Both Guest and incumbent Democrat Eric Gisler have been clear in saying that Oconee County is crucial to a victory in the Nov. 3 election.
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| Guest 7/31/2026 |
The 121st House District includes three of Oconee County’s four precincts and all or part of 10 precincts in Clarke County, but three-quarters of the voters in the last three elections have come from Oconee County.
In the December Special Election to replace Republican Marcus Wiedower, who stepped down, Guest received 64.5 percent of the vote in Oconee County, but 17.7 percent of the vote in Clarke County.
Gisler won by only 198 votes.
At his Town Hall Meeting last month, in response to a question, Gisler said he felt he will get strong voter support in Clarke again, but he feels he will need to increase his support in Oconee County to prevail in November, when turnout will be higher than in the special election.
Guest said on Friday that he will be speaking at the Clarke County Republican Party meeting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 10 at the Piedmont Medical Services Center, 242 King Ave., in Athens, as part of his outreach to voters in that county.
Both Guest and Gisler are residents of Oconee County.
Wire Park Policy
Guest had announced the Meet and Greet through a flier, which Oconee County Republican Party Chair Kathy Hurley had distributed to the party listserv on July 20.
Hurley was at the Meet and Greet on Friday evening.
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| Guest 7/31/2026 |
Democratic Party Chair Thompson sent Guest’s flier to the Wire Park email address on July 8, saying that “roughly two years ago, the Oconee County Democratic Committee wanted to hold a ‘Meet & Greet’ at Wire Park” and was told “that Wire Park does not hold political events on the facility.”
“Has Wire Park’s policy regarding political events been changed?” Thompson asked in that email.
According to Thompson, he received an email response from "The Wire Park Team" saying that an exception was made for Guest “because Dutch was involved in Wire Park in the early days” and that “this should not be interpreted as a change in our policy.”
Guest is Executive Vice President, Business Development, of LAD Truck Lines Inc., located next door to Wire Park, and was one of the founders of South Main Brewing, one of the first businesses to open in Wire Park.
I attempted to get a confirmation from Wire Park of the email exchange with Thompson via phone calls and numerous email messages, but I never received a response.
Prohibitions against political events are common at business sites, which are private property.
The Oconee Farmer’s Market, which operates at Wire Park, as one example, has long had its own policy of not allowing candidates or political parties to set up booths.
One resident of Wire Park told me on Friday the very heavy police presence at the event on Friday was unusual and that residents had been informed of the increased police presence in advance.
Candidate Forum Update
Guest and Gaines both said at the event at Wire Park on Friday that they still are working on their schedules to try to be able to attend the Candidate Forum for Oconee County state and federal legislative candidates to be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 24 at Oconee Veterans Park.
The forum is being jointly sponsored by The Oconee Enterprise and Oconee County Observations.
Patrick Graham, publisher of the Enterprise as well as publisher of The Walton Tribune and The Covington News, will co-moderate the forum.
Black said on Friday that he will attend. Marc McMain, Republican candidate for Senate District 46, also has committed to attend.
All four of the Democratic candidates have accepted the invitation: Pam DeLancy for Congressional District 10, Ray Smith for State Senate District 46, Suzanna Karatassos for State House District 120, and Gisler for State House District 121.
All of Oconee County falls into U.S. House District 10 and Senate District 46.
Oconee County's Northeast Precinct is in House District 120, with Oconee Central, Oconee South, and Oconee Dark Corner precincts in House District 121.
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