Gov. Nathan Deal will be the guest speaker Tuesday night at the Dawson County Republican Party's monthly meeting.

Co-sponsored by the Dawson County Tea Party, as well as the Republican parties from Forsyth and Lumpkin counties, the meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the Lakeview Center on Dawson Forest Road.

"It's always an honor to have the governor of Georgia coming to speak to the citizens of our community about the issues important to him and to all of us," said Clint Bearden, Dawson County GOP chair. "That is especially true given that it is Gov. Nathan Deal, who has been a friend to and representative of our North Georgia community for a long time."

Deal, of Gainesville, is expected to discuss current issues facing the State of Georgia and the upcoming 2012 session of the Georgia General Assembly.

"While this event is the end of our 2011 meeting calendar, we're hoping to use this as a kick-off to a very important election year in 2012," Bearden said.

A former prosecutor and juvenile court judge, Deal was sworn-in as the state's 82nd governor in January after serving 12 years in the state Senate and nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

For additional information on the meeting, call (706) 974-8870 or e-mail clint.bearden@gmail.com.