A north Georgia Republican who votes “no” more than any other state legislator held on to his House seat Tuesday despite opposition from powerful members of his own party.
State Rep. Matt Gurtler, a 29-year-old general contractor from Tiger, defeated Mickey Cummings, a farmers market manager, in Tuesday's Republican Party primary election for House District 8, according to unofficial results.
FOLLOW LIVE: Primary election results
Gurtler was opposed by Gov. Nathan Deal, House Speaker David Ralston and other prominent Republican legislators. Gurtler, an anti-government conservative, frequently voted against Republican priorities like state budgets and education funding.
Gurtler said his votes reflected his belief in small government.
He voted against bills on the House floor 40 percent of the time, a higher rate than any other Republican or Democrat in the Georgia General Assembly over the last two years.
There’s no Democratic Party in the race, meaning Gutler doesn’t face any opponent in the Nov. 6 general election. He was first elected in 2016.
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