Bartow Native To Run For State House Seat

CARTERSVILLE, GA -- A Bartow County native wants to serve the community in the Georgia General Assembly. Matthew Gambill has announced his campaign to run for the State House District 15 seat held by State Rep. Paul Battles, who has said he will retire from the seat.

Gambill, the executive director of the Georgia Association for Career & Technical Education, said he wants to bring more jobs to the Peach State and position Bartow County as a destination for manufacturing, tourism and trade.

Gambill, a Republican, said his conservative principles will guide him in his bid to keep taxes and regulation low "while working to improve education and economic opportunities in Georgia."

“I am excited to announce my campaign for State House, and I want to thank Paul Battles for his record of distinguished service to our community," Gambill said. "I come from a family with deep roots in Cartersville and Bartow County and a solid record of service in the civic, church, business, and political arenas. It’s my commitment to that legacy of service that now fuels my desire to serve our community in the State House.”

Bartow County natives or longtime residents may be familiar with Gambill's name. He comes from a family with a long record of service. His grandfather, Frank Harris, moved to Cartersville in the 1920's and made numerous personal sacrifices to help create the thriving community we enjoy today, from chairing the Cartersville City School Board to helping organize Faith United Methodist Church, and using his own money to pay for trips to recruit business to Bartow County (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

His uncle, Joe Frank Harris, represented Bartow County in the Georgia House of Representatives for 18 years prior to serving as Georgia’s governor from 1983 to 1991. Matthew’s parents, Bill and Glenda Gambill, are both retired from long careers in public education and they instilled in him a deep appreciation for strong schools and vibrant teachers.

Gambill is a graduate of Cartersville High School and holds a bachelor's degree from Lee University. Since 2004, he has served as the executive director of the Georgia Association of Career and Technical Education where he advocates for career, technical and agricultural education, and works with teachers and school systems across the state to support their work in ensuring students are career ready upon graduation. Matthew’s appreciation for these programs began as a student at Cartersville High School.

No stranger to the legislative process, Matthew previously worked as an aide to the Higher Education and Education committees for the State House. It was during this time that Matthew met his wife, Danae, a former state representative from Columbus.

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Gambill is a member of the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce, serves on the Board of Directors of the Indian Springs Holiness Camp Meeting, Boys and Girls Clubs of Bartow County and is the past chair of the Boys and Girls Clubs Georgia Area Council and the Murphy-Harpst Children’s Home.

He also serves on the board of directors for the National Association for Career & Technical Education, ACTE National Executive Directors Association and the Boys and Girls Clubs Georgia Alliance. Gambill is also member of the Georgia Society of Association Executives, Georgia Chamber of Commerce where he serves on the Governmental Affairs Council, The Georgia Economic Developers Association and the Georgia Department of Economic Development Work Force Division Trade 5 Advisory Council.

Gambill is a graduate of the 2007 Leadership Bartow Class, a graduate of the 2010 Leadership Georgia Class, and was selected by Georgia Trend Magazine for their 2012 “40 Under 40” publication.

Gambill and wife, Danae, have three children, Mary Harris, David and James, and attend Tabernacle Baptist Church where they are actively involved.

Image via Matthew Gambill