“It was a free speech issue,” said Peters.

Expo Square is owned by Tulsa County and governed by a facilities authority that includes the three county commissioners.

Peters said he was told the fair received “a couple” of complaints about the display and that Tuesday’s brief controversy was the first of its kind he could remember at the fair.

“It’s just that politically charged climate,” Peters said.

Tulsa County Democratic Party Chairwoman Kimberly Fobbs said her group’s booth was also examined by Expo Square officials but given a clean bill after some “WTFGOP” T-shirts were replaced by candidates’ pictures one day into the fair.

Fobbs said the Tulsa County GOP display was in bad taste and as such Expo Square had an interest in seeing it taken down. She stopped short, though, of saying the party should be forced to remove the display.

“People are outraged they chose to do something so divisive,” Fobbs said, and pointed out that October is Hispanic Heritage Month.

Arnett said the party was surprised by the furor.

“We want to attract people, not drive them away,” he said.