Gary Horlacher says that in the statehouse he is often kidded about being a "closet Republican," but he gets a hard time in Fayette County for being a lifelong Democrat.

Horlacher, the new press secretary for Governor-elect Roy Barnes and a Peachtree City resident since 1971, continues, "I think I work in politics the way we used to do it pick out the candidate, not the party." He is very excited about working for Barnes, who is a longtime friend that Horlacher describes as "the smartest guy in the legislature."

The University of Georgia graduate is a former athlete at Fayette County High School who now coaches basketball for his son Matt's recreation league team. Horlacher says he "played (basketball) for Trigg Dalrymple at Fayette County" and was, with Randy Green, "the entire FCHS track team at the state track meet in 1974."

He married his wife Teresa while at UGA, he says, and he describes her as "the real champion" in the family. She manages "Once Upon A Child," the couple's new-and-used store in the Publix shopping center east of Peachtree City. Besides Matt, 12, a Booth Middle School seventh grader, they are parents of Caroline, a 10-year-old fifth-grader at Kedron Elementary, and Katie, 4, who goes to preschool at Peachtree City United Methodist Church where the family has its membership.

It was an internship to the legislature during his college years that got him interested in politics, Horlacher says. He went on to get his law degree at Georgia State University and says he was lucky enough to have participated in some around-the-state campaigns "before the big emphasis was television."

Horlacher also served as executive director of the Georgia Association of Home Health Agencies and as director of government relations for Oglethorpe Power Company and the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation. He was assistant commissioner of the Georgia Dept. of Labor from 1986-90.

He says he and Teresa "got bit by the entrepreneur bug" and opened their shop three years ago, when his campaign involvement had slowed down. Then, he said, a friend with Barnes' campaign asked him to "come in and make a few calls," and he found himself the press secretary for the Barnes campaign.

He says working with the media is something he loves to do, but he thought that after Barnes was elected "maybe the requests would slow down, but it's just as intense now." The Barnes staff is coming together, and transitional work keeps everyone busy. The inauguration is on Jan. 11, but budget hearings start Jan. 4, Horlacher says.