Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “The future of this republic is in the hands of the American voter.” To the voters of District 5 and the City of Prattville, my name is Blair Gornto and I humbly ask for your vote on August 25, 2020 to represent District 5 on the Prattville City Council.
WHO AM I?
I am a Christian first and foremost, a husband, a father, a Medical Officer in the Army National Guard, and a Conservative Republican ready and willing to serve the citizens of District 5. I am blessed to say I have lived in Prattville for 12 years and was a graduate of Prattville High School in 2013 after playing baseball all four years at Prattville. I played two years of college baseball at Huntingdon College before enlisting in the Army National Guard in 2015 to serve our great state and country. I graduated from Auburn University at Montgomery in 2018 while completing the Army ROTC program; I accepted a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army National Guard as a Medical Services Officer and am proud to say both my wife and I still presently serve in this capacity. I married my high school sweetheart Morgan, who was born and raised in Prattville, in 2017 and we have a one-year-old daughter named Winsley Reese, better known as “Winnie.” My family and I attend Heritage Baptist Church in Prattville and serve in various areas such as ushering and the music, youth, and nursery ministries. I am fully invested in the Prattville Community and want to ensure we work together to make this city and District 5 the best that we can for my daughter’s generation and for generations to come.
WHY AM I RUNNING?
I have been blessed to live in Prattville the majority of my life along with my wife who grew up in the Overlook/ Silver Hills neighborhood of District 5 where we are now raising our daughter. I want to ensure that Prattville remains the Preferred Community for our present generation and to play a small part in improving our community for my daughter’s generation as well as the next. I am passionate about keeping our community safe and up to date and protecting its economic, academic, and developmental success. I strongly feel it is a member of the City Council’s duty to never push the agenda of a special interest group or a politician and to always keep our citizens’ best interests and concerns as the number one priority. I feel that I can work well with the Council and our District to enact some beneficial changes that our citizens believe would make a difference for the better. I’m not afraid to take a stand for the things I believe in, and from my experience in the military, I’m confident in my abilities to speak in front of large groups, plan the ins and outs of operations and most importantly, to listen to those whose lives are literally in my hands. I firmly believe my job as a councilman would be to act as the voice for those who have placed their trust in me to ensure what needs to happen will happen. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Richard Cables, District 5’s current Councilman, and was grateful for his insight on our district and what current concerns exist so as to best serve the residents of the District. As someone willing to learn with a humble heart and truly serve the people of District 5, I would not ask for your vote if I did not believe I am the best person for this position.
WHY SHOULD I VOTE FOR YOU? WHAT ARE YOUR RUNNING POINTS?
I will do everything in my power to work with the citizens of District 5 to improve our District and Prattville overall, not just for us but for our future generations. As someone who is not a “yes man” and who is no stranger to getting things accomplished in a timely manner in my work, I completely dedicate myself to a cause and go after it with everything I’ve got.
- As a member of the military who is married to a first responder, I fully support our first responders and law enforcement officers and want to ensure that continued relations between first responders and the citizens of Prattville is a positive one. I think when it comes to their funding and needs, they are often overlooked, and other things take priority that shouldn’t. I stand behind our hometown heroes and commend them for their services to keep our community a safe place to live.
- I aim to promote small businesses as I believe they are the backbone of our community. During these trying times, I believe that supporting small business in Prattville helps all of its citizens by giving back to the community and its members. I am proud to have worked at a family-owned small business, Prattville Carpet, since 2013. I rally behind the visions of our small businesses and everything these hard-working individuals contribute to our city.
- As a father raising a young child in Prattville, I am so grateful to have access to the many wonderful recreational spaces provided by the Parks and Recreation Department. Overlook Park and Cooters Pond Park are two recreational areas found in District 5. My vision is to see our parks and recreational areas improved upon in order to ensure their longevity and access to all of our citizens for years to come, as well as ensure our city maintains up-to-date facilities that allow our youth to participate in sports. I strongly believe sports help to instill values in our young people that benefit them greatly as adults, and as such I will work to ensure our citizens have facilities that we are proud to say represent Prattville and its many recreational programs.
I am humbly coming to you to ask for your vote for City Council District 5 on August 25, 2020. My family and I are so thankful for this opportunity and hope to work together with our fellow citizens to make District 5 and our incredible city reach its fullest potential!
