In a contest that started with 4 candidates in the May primary and came down to 2 in the July primary runoff, Matt Gurtler prevailed over Kent Woerner 61-39%. The primary runoff featured an inflow of money from outside the district to the Woerner campaign but Gurtler’s door-to-door retail politics won the day.
Just 27 years old Matt Gurtler’s message of limited government, less tax burden, fewer regulations and a strong constitutional approach prevailed in 3 of the 4 counties that form the 8th House District and produced a virtual tie in both candidates home – Rabun County.
Equally impressive was the work of Gurtler’s young campaign manager, Banks Wise. It has long been thought that going door-to-door was a futile effort in the mountains. Matt and Banks proved otherwise.
Susan Reese, a Union County voter, reaction to this one on one campaign was heard throughout the district during the 8 weeks of runoff campaigning:
I will be stopping by the precinct to vote for Matt. He is the only person who has ever stopped by my home to introduce himself- very impressive.
Now the challenge moves from campaigning to governing. It will be interesting to watch these young guns as they deal with the important issues facing our state and the 8th House District.