Matthew Levi Gurtler is an American politician who served as a member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. T ...

from the 8th district from 2017 to 2021. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

seat for

Georgia's 9th congressional district Georgia's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the north of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The district is represented by Republican Party (United States), Republican Andrew Clyde, who succeeded fellow Rep ...

in the 2020 election.Megan Reed
Matt Gurtler announces run for 9th District seat in U.S. House
''The Times'' (Gainesville, Ga.) (February 12, 2020).

Early life and education

Gurtler graduated from the

University of North Georgia The University of North Georgia (UNG) is a public senior military college with multiple campuses in Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. The university was established on January 8, 2013 by a merger of North Georgia College ...

with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 2012. He participated in

R.O.T.C. The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. Overview While ROTC graduate officers serve in al ...

and received a history degree. In 2013, he was arrested on the

North Georgia College and State University The University of North Georgia (UNG) is a public senior military college with multiple campuses in Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. The university was established on January 8, 2013 by a merger of North Georgia College ...

campus in

Dahlonega The city of Dahlonega () is the county seat of Lumpkin County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 5,242, and in 2018 the population was estimated to be 6,884. Dahlonega is located at the north end of ...

and charged with obstructing a police officer. The charges were settled four years later after Gurtler completed a pretrial

diversion program A diversion program, also known as a pretrial diversion program or pretrial intervention program, in the criminal justice system is a form of pretrial sentencing that helps remedy behavior leading to the arrest. Administered by the judicial or ...

and paid court costs.

Career

Gurtler is a

general contractor A general contractor, main contractor or prime contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and the communication of information to all involved parties throughout the course of ...

. Gurtler volunteered for

Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

and

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

campaigns for president, and served as a delegate to the

Georgia Republican Party The Georgia Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Georgia and one of the two major political parties in the state and is currently chaired by David Shafer. Current structure David Shafer is the current ...

in 2013 and 2015. Gurtler was a political consultant since 2015 and was CEO of Matthew L. Gurtler General Construction. He is also an NRA-certified firearms safety instructor.

Georgia House of Representatives

2016 election

In 2016, Gurtler ran to succeed state Rep. Steve Allison, to whom he served as an aide. He won the Republican primary runoff with 61 percent of the vote and was unopposed in the general election.

Tenure and positions

Gurtler describes himself as a both a "limited government conservative" and a supporter of " President Trump's agenda." He is regarded as a hardliner within the Republican Party, with an "anti-establishment" message. Gurtler "has a reputation in the House as often being the lone Republican dissenter on many of the party-backed initiatives, making him a bit of a pariah in his own caucus." As a frequent sole dissenter, Gurtler has been termed "the Dr. No of the House." In 2017–18, Gurtler voted "no" in 40% of floor votes, more than any member of any party in the

General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...

. In early 2018, Gurtler voted against legislation for a

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

system in metro Atlanta and for an expansion of

broadband In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...

access in rural communities. During a fall 2018

special session In a legislature, a special session (also extraordinary session) is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year (often delayed by confli ...

of the General Assembly, Gurtler was criticized by fellow Republicans for being the sole representative to vote against a $500 million emergency relief package for communities in southwest Georgia impacted by

Hurricane Michael Hurricane Michael was a very powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that became the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States since Andrew in 1992. It was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane to ma ...

. Gurtler termed the legislation "not in line with conservative principles"; in response, 20 lawmakers sent a letter to newspaper editors in Gurtler's district accusing him of failing to “work constructively on anything to help Georgians – your district included." Gurtler was the sole House member to vote against the proposed budget of Governor

Nathan Deal John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party in 1992 a ...

(who also is a Republican). In February 2017, Gurtler had a dispute with Deal's chief of staff, Chris Riley, at a breakfast event at the Governor's Mansion, regarding the state budget. Following the exchange, Gurtler accused Riley of "intimidation and bullying tactics" and claimed that Riley had threatened to "cut all funding" to Gurtler's district unless he voted for the budget. Riley denied Gurtler's allegation. Gurtler has introduced legislation to eliminate the state's permit requirement for the carrying of concealed handguns, HB 2. Gurtler's permitless carry legislation is supported by Republican

Brian Kemp Brian Porter Kemp (born November 2, 1963) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 83rd governor of Georgia since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Kemp served as the 27th secretary of state of Georgia from 2010 t ...

, the Georgia governor. Gurtler says that he regards the

Second Amendment to the United States Constitution The Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution protects the Right to keep and bear arms in the United States, right to keep and bear arms. It was ratified on December 15, 1791, along with nine other articles of the Un ...

as "a no-compromise statement." In 2018, Gurtler introduced a resolution urging Georgia school districts to arm teachers and school staff; the resolution did not receive a vote. In March 2020, Gurtler was the sole House member to vote against a measure to regulate pharmacy benefits managers, who negotiate prescription drug prices between

health insurers Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...

and pharmacies, the measure passed 165–1. In a March 2020

calling to declare a state public health emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic in Georgia, Gurtler was the sole House member to vote "no"; the measure passed 142–1. During the crisis, Gurtler also called for laws requiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon to be suspended, so that persons in Georgia would be entitled to carry weapons (either concealed or openly) without a license.

2018 reelection

In the 2018 election, Republican party leadership (including Governor

and state House speaker

David Ralston David Ralston (March 14, 1954 – November 16, 2022) was an American attorney and a Republican politician who was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 2003 until his death. From 2010 onwards, he was also its 73rd speaker of the ...

) supported Gurtler's

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

challenger, farmers' market manager Mickey Cumming, in a rare example of party leadership seeking to unseat an incumbent of their own party. Gurtler nevertheless secured renomination, defeating Cummings with 60 percent of the vote. He did not have a Democratic challenger in the general election.

2020 U.S. House election

In February 2020, Gurtler announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Congress in

, for the seat vacated by Republican U.S. Representative Doug Collins, who ran in the

2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia The 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia was held on November 3, 2020, and on January 5, 2021 (as a runoff), to elect the Class III member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Georgia. Democrat Raphael ...

. The congressional district is a Republican

safe seat A safe seat is an electoral district (constituency) in a legislative body (e.g. Congress, Parliament, City Council) which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combinat ...

.Ed Kilgore
Georgia Republican Raffles Assault Rifle to Defend Against 'Looting Hordes From Atlanta'
''New York'' (April 7, 2020).Sarah Kallis
Election 2020: Clyde, Gurtler qualify for GOP runoff in 9th Congressional District
''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (June 10, 2020). During his 2020 campaign, Gurtler has said he supports the repeal of the

Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...

and a rollback of

U.S. Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

regulations.Where 9th District Republican candidates stand on the issues
''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (2020). He opposes federal efforts to address

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

. He called for "states with

sanctuary cities Sanctuary city (; ) refers to municipal jurisdictions, typically in North America, that limit their cooperation with the national government's effort to enforce immigration law. Leaders of sanctuary cities say they want to reduce fear of deport ...

and loose voting laws" to be "completely defunded." He expressed support for the

First Step Act The First Step Act, formally known as the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act, is a bipartisan criminal justice bill passed by the 115th Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in Decembe ...

. He accused "elites like

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

" of "violating the Constitution." In the Republican primary, Gurtler ran against former Representative

Paul Broun Paul Collins Broun Jr. (born May 14, 1946) is an American physician and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a member of the Tea Party Caucus. Broun unsuccessf ...

, State Senator John Wilkinson, State Representative Kevin Tanner, and

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

gun shop owner

Andrew Clyde Andrew Scott Clyde (born November 22, 1963) is an American politician and gun store owner from the state of Georgia. A Republican, Clyde represents in the United States House of Representatives, assuming office in 2021. The district serves a la ...

. All the candidates have emphasized their right-wing credentials. During his campaign, Gurtler posed with a photo at an event with a longtime Georgia

white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other Race (human classification), races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any Power (social and polit ...

and

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

activist associated with the National Alliance and

Hammerskins The Hammerskins (also known as Hammerskin Nation) are a white supremacist group formed in 1988 in Dallas, Texas. Their primary focus is the production and promotion of white power rock music, and many white power bands have been affiliated with ...

; Gurtler was criticized by his primary opponents and others across the political spectrum. In the primary, Gurtler and Clyde gained the most votes, advancing to a Republican primary

runoff election The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...

. Clyde defeated Gurtler in the runoff election on August 11 to win the Republican nomination.

Electoral history

Post Georgia House of Representatives

Since January 2021, Gurtler has worked as the Chief of Staff to US Congressman

Thomas Massie Thomas Harold Massie (born January 13, 1971) is an American politician and businessman. A member of the Republican Party, Massie has been the United States representative for Kentucky's 4th congressional district since 2012, when he defeated Bi ...

Personal life

Gurtler's wife is Marissa Solis. They have a daughter.

References

External links

* (campaign)
Matt Gurtler at ballotpedia.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gurtler, Matt 1988 births 21st-century American politicians Living people Republican Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives People from Rabun County, Georgia University of North Georgia alumni Candidates in the 2020 United States elections