Tamara Strong, candidate for Newton County Board of Commissioners District 2, joins The Town Square Podcast for this Candidate Conversations episode. A lifelong Newton County resident, wife, mother, woman of faith, and community advocate, Strong shares why she decided to run and how her campaign message — “Your Voice, Our Future” — reflects her desire to listen to residents and serve the community.
In the conversation, Strong discusses economic development, public safety, youth programs, transparency, town halls, emergency response, and her vision for “One Newton.” She also shares her heart for family, faith, cooking, and community connection as voters prepare for the May 19 primary.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
Jodi Lewis, candidate for Georgia House District 118, joins The Town Square Podcast for Episode 89 of the Candidate Conversations series. In this conversation, Lewis shares her story as a Newton County homeowner, mother, entrepreneur, communications strategist, and first-time candidate seeking to represent a district that includes south Newton County, all of Butts County, and much of Monroe County.
The conversation covers affordability, housing costs, healthcare, property taxes, education, school safety, and Lewis’s advocacy work connected to Miya’s Law. Lewis also discusses the importance of communication, accountability, and working across political differences to focus on the real issues facing District 118.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
State Representative Houston Gaines joins The Town Square Podcast for Episode 88 of the Candidate Conversations series to discuss his campaign for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District. Gaines shares his background as an Athens native, eighth-generation northeast Georgian, small-business professional, and current member of the Georgia House of Representatives.
In this conversation, Trey and Gabriel talk with Gaines about public service, his legislative record, the Baker-Coleman Act, immigration enforcement, public safety, fiscal responsibility, housing affordability, small business growth, agriculture, constituent service, and why he believes now is the right time to run for Congress.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
Wendell McNeal, candidate for Georgia House of Representatives District 114, joins The Town Square Podcast for another episode in our Candidate Conversations series. McNeal shares his story of growing up in Gordon and Milledgeville, losing his father at a young age, building a business from the ground up, and eventually growing a Curtis Mathis franchise into multiple locations before transitioning into real estate and community investment.
In this conversation, McNeal discusses property taxes, public education funding, senior tax relief, data centers, Rivian, economic development, and the importance of protecting quality of life while encouraging responsible growth. He also reflects on his time working with the Georgia House Judiciary Committee, his role as a Georgia presidential elector, and why he describes himself as a “workhorse, not a show horse.”
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
Nytravious “Nytro” Smith joins The Town Square Podcast for this Candidate Conversations episode as a candidate for Newton County Board of Commissioners District 4. A lifelong Newton County resident, Eastside High School graduate, ordained minister, community coach, and tradesman, Smith shares how his roots in Green Acres, Nelson Heights, Newton County Schools, and the Washington Street Community Center shaped his desire to serve.
In this conversation, Smith discusses his campaign theme, “Preserving Newton. Preparing for the Future,” and outlines his thoughts on growth, taxes, economic development, housing, transparency, workforce development, and county-wide collaboration. He also explains his “Visionary Mentor” approach to leadership and why he believes Newton County needs fresh energy, accountability, and long-term planning.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
Ryan Millsap joins The Town Square Podcast for Episode 85 as part of the ongoing Candidate Conversations series, which aims to help voters hear directly from the individuals seeking public office. A Republican candidate for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, Millsap shares the story behind his candidacy, beginning with his upbringing in a middle-class family, his academic path through Biola, Oxford, and USC, and his career as an entrepreneur in commercial real estate and film studio development.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Millsap explains why he sees himself as an outsider to politics, what drove him to run for Congress, and how his experiences in business, property battles, and public conflict shaped his views on government, the Constitution, immigration, corruption, and the role of leadership in America. He also offers a passionate vision for what he believes Georgia’s 10th District can become and why he believes this moment calls for a different kind of representative in Washington.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
In Episode 84 of The Town Square Podcast, Trey Bailey sits down with Richard Wright, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, for a wide-ranging conversation as part of the Candidate Conversations series. Wright shares his remarkable personal story — from dropping out of high school, moving to Atlanta with dreams of becoming a rapper, and working at the airport for $6.25 an hour, to earning his undergraduate degree, MBA, CPA, and studying at Georgetown Law. Along the way, he explains how his life experience shaped his belief that Georgia needs leaders who can speak to people in the political middle and focus on practical solutions instead of partisan warfare. His campaign site frames that approach around “common sense leadership” and putting Georgians first.
The conversation explores Wright’s platform on healthcare, Medicaid expansion, rural hospitals, housing affordability, tax policy, workforce development, and the need for more civility in state government. He makes the case that Georgia needs a lieutenant governor who can work with both parties, explain policy in plain English, and focus on helping working families, farmers, small business owners, and communities across the state. The episode also highlights his pitch as a moderate Democrat who believes most Georgians live in the “messy middle” and want better schools, effective taxation, and practical leadership.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
Alan Fowler joins The Town Square Podcast for Episode 83 of Candidate Conversations as the Republican candidate for Newton County Board of Education District 5, the seat currently held by retiring board chair Abigail Coggin. In a thoughtful and personal conversation, Fowler reflects on his decades in public education, including 26 years at Eastside High School and his current role as Executive Director of the Georgia Music Educators Association. He shares stories about family, teaching, community, and the values that have shaped both his career and his campaign.
Throughout the episode, Fowler explains why he believes the purpose of a school system is to develop great citizens. He discusses the importance of teamwork, fiscal responsibility, listening to teachers, supporting staff, maintaining strong school safety practices, and preparing students for a variety of futures—from college to technical careers to the workforce. It’s a warm, substantive conversation that helps voters better understand both the candidate and the heart behind his run for office.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
Alana Sanders joins The Town Square Podcast for Episode 82 of our Candidate Conversations series to discuss her run for Georgia House District 113. In this wide-ranging conversation, she shares her personal story, her path from Louisiana to Newton County, the loss of her parents at a young age, and the many roles that have shaped her public service journey—from commissioner to lobbyist, professor, and community advocate.
Sanders also lays out her vision for Newton County, including housing affordability, infrastructure readiness, public education, data center regulation, youth programming, economic development, and the importance of transparency in government. This episode gives voters a closer look at a candidate who says she is ready to serve on day one.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)
Commissioner Demond Mason joins The Town Square Podcast for Episode 91 of the Candidate Conversations series. Mason, the current Newton County Board of Commissioners representative for District 2, shares his journey from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Newton County, his call into public service, and how faith, family, ministry, and community involvement shaped his leadership.
In this conversation, Mason discusses his record in office, including Salem Road widening, Denny Dobbs Park improvements, the new Senior Enrichment Center, economic development, public safety, and efforts to support Newton County’s unsheltered residents. He also explains why he is seeking re-election and how he views servant leadership in local government.
(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)