One of five children, Gurtler was home schooled. He graduated from the University of North Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in 2012 with a major in History and a minor in Sociology. In 2013, Gurtler was a passenger in a car whose driver was charged with a DUI. Gurtler argued on behalf of his friend and was arrested by the police officer for obstruction. The charges were settled four years later after Gurtler completed a pretrial diversion program and paid court costs.
Career
Gurtler is a general contractor. He told Project VoteSmart that his political experience includes volunteering for Ron Paul's 2008 and 2012 campaigns for president, and serving as a delegate to the Georgia Republican Party in 2013 and 2015. Gurtler also reported that he had worked as a political consultant since 2015 and was CEO of Matthew L. Gurtler General Construction. He is an NRA certified firearms safety instructor.
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 "limited government conservative" and is regarded as a hardliner within the Republican Party, with an "anti-establishment, small-government 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. In early 2018, Gurtler voted against legislation for a commuter rail system in metro Atlanta and for an expansion of broadband access in rural communities. During a fall 2018 special session 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. 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. 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, the Georgia governor. Gurtler says that he regards the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution 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 and pharmacies, the measure passed 165-1. In a March 2020 special session 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 without a license.
2018 reelection
In the 2018 election, Republican party leadership supported Gurtler's primary 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 Georgia's 9th congressional district, for the seat vacated by Republican U.S. Representative Doug Collins, who is running for U.S. Senate. The congressional district is a Republican safe seat. During his 2020 campaign, Gurtler has said he supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and a rollback of U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. He opposes federal efforts to address climate change. He called for "states with sanctuary cities and loose voting laws" to be "completely defunded." He expressed support for the First Step Act. He accused "elites like Hillary Clinton" of "violating the Constitution." In the Republican primary, Gurtler ran against former Representative Paul Broun Jr., State Senator John Wilkinson, State RepresentativeKevin Tanner, and Athensgun shop owner Andrew Clyde. All the candidates have emphasized their right-wing credentials. In the primary, Gurtler and Clyde gained the most votes, advancing to a Republican primary runoff election.
