Blair Gornto for Prattville City Council - District 5

Calling all District 5 constituents!! I have created a Facebook group specifically for District 5 so that we can all stay up to date and in the know regarding issues involving the City and the District! Please go join the group and let’s work together to better the District!
District 5 Prattville, AL

It’s here! Tomorrow is our official swear-in ceremony and I just want to thank everyone again for all the support and words of encouragement we received throughout the entire campaign. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with several of you already and look forward to continuing to do so in an official capacity as of tomorrow. My family and I are ready to take on this huge responsibility and sincerely hope to be able to play a small role in making Prattville the best that it can be for all of its citizens. District 5, I am going to do my utmost to serve and represent your best interests for the next four years and show you your confidence in me at the polls won’t go to waste! Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, because I couldn’t have done this without your support! As always, if you need anything at all, my number is 334.357.1827 or you can also reach me by email at [email protected]. Here’s to the next four years!

Winnie’s face is how we were all feeling this morning after an incredible day yesterday that our family will never forget! I woke up this morning feeling full of gratitude and ready to show District 5 your confidence in me will not go to waste! Now that the campaign season is over, the real work begins and I look forward to working with my fellow Council members, Mayor Gillespie, and most importantly the citizens of District 5! From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU for your many prayers, kind words, and well wishes! This wouldn’t have been possible without YOU, and I owe a lot to the efforts of so many working hard and spreading the word to ensure our campaign’s success. This was a huge team effort and I’m blessed to work for a district full of passionate, involved, and motivated people in Prattville!

Quick housekeeping matter - this morning I went around the city and pulled my signs up, but if I happened to miss one, please don’t hesitate to let me know via message or call 334-357-1827 and I’m happy to come grab it so it’s not left out. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your City Councilman beginning in November and I pledge to make y’all proud to say you elected me! Please reach out anytime in the meantime and know I’m here if you have any questions or concerns. 😊 God bless you and your families!

INTRODUCING DISTRICT 5 COUNCILMAN-ELECT BLAIR GORNTO!!! 🇺🇸✅🙌🏼 There are no words for how excited and overwhelmed with joy my family and I are right now and I can’t thank the voters enough for your confidence in me! I am looking forward to the next four years serving this incredible community my family and I love so dearly, and THANK YOU for this opportunity! To God be all the glory 🙏🏼

To my opponent Bo Evans, you ran a great race and thank you for an amazing campaign! I am glad we were able to stay in contact throughout the election and keep things clean! I am thankful to know we can walk away from this with zero hard feelings and better men for this experience.

Election Day is HERE and is happening right now at Heritage Baptist Church!!! A little over four hours left to elect your next Councilman of District 5 and the Mayor! See you at the polls and please vote BLAIR GORNTO for City Council! 🇺🇸✅

I can’t believe we’re officially completing our final walk through District 5! Our feet are tired but our hearts are so full! To our incredible friends and family who came out to walk and place sample ballots on doors today, there are no words for how thankful I am for you all! Hope you guys are spending the rest of your day relaxing in the A/C - y’all have earned it and then some!!! I’ve worked to show the citizens of District 5 I’m not afraid to work hard and will never take an easy way out. We’ve strived to run this race with endurance, and through every hill and valley, we’re proud of the clean campaign we’ve run and can look back on this experience knowing we have given it our all! We have prayed over this election, for the citizens, for our opponent, and for the city that ultimately God’s Will be done in just three more days and we will bring glory to Him above all. Thank you all for an amazing Saturday and please let me know how I can best serve you at 334-357-1827! We’re still out placing sample ballots in a few more areas and continue placing signs to those who have requested them today! God Bless you and your families!

(Shoutout to my parents Bruce and Cathy Gornto, my in-laws Ray and Angie Boles, Emma Ruth and Saylor Boles, Jenny & Jacob Hilyer, Matt and Addie Taylor, Pastors Roger Parks and Donald Payne, Nanci, Tripp and Belle Berch, Garison Mathis, Austin and Carolyn Carpenter, Elley Colley and Will Thrash, and Charlene and Walt Hilyer for volunteering their time and energy to our cause today! We love you all!)

If the day ends in Y we’re out there, rain or shine, working hard to bring my platform to YOU, District 5! This has been such an amazing journey making so many personal connections, finding our common ground, and addressing your concerns face to face. Tomorrow, our incredible supporters, friends, and family members join us on our final walk through the District! From the bottom of my heart, no matter what happens Tuesday, I am forever grateful for this experience and I will continue working just as hard for this District if you choose to instill your faith in me as your next City Councilman! Thank you to the countless individuals who have reached out here recently and given me the chance to elaborate more on my plans and visions for the city as a whole and District 5. As always, I highly encourage you to contact me anytime if you have any doubts that I am the best man for the job and will consistently make our district’s best interests the highest priority. See y’all tomorrow! 🇺🇸👟🏘

Hey Prattville - Tonight, those Friday Night Lights will shine again on Lion Nation as they take on Wetumpka High School at the Cramton Bowl at 7 pm. These two proud PHS alumni loved our time playing sports growing up and for Prattville High School! We wish y'all the best of luck tonight as they kick off the 2020 football season and we pray everyone will stay healthy, safe, and display good sportsmanship as the Lions begin their run for another state title and showcase the hard work they've put in in the off-season.

I’ve helped coach several youth baseball teams in our community and my wife coached a Prattville Youth Lions cheerleading team; sports are something we’re extremely passionate about and important not only to our family but to many with members of all ages. I want to work with the department heads to create an atmosphere up to par with the state’s leading programs. I have reiterated my beliefs on our Parks and Recreation Department throughout my campaign, where I think we have room for improvement, and the vast importance of sports for our youth. I strongly believe sports help to instill values in our young people that benefit them greatly as adults. As such, I will work to ensure our citizens have facilities we are proud to say represent Prattville and its many recreational programs for all athletes in the Fountain City.

Happy Friday, and GO LIONS!!

Last week, I was grateful to have the opportunity to answer the following questions received in an email from reporter Marty Roney with the Montgomery Advertiser for my candidacy profile; today, I was excited to see the article was released on their website! (Link at the end of this post!) In the interest of full disclosure, I have attached those questions and my full responses in this post!

Thank you to Marty for his time and for highlighting several important points of my platform! I highly encourage you to read my full responses as I go into more detail than space was available in the article! We all know that every election is determined by the people who show up, and an informed voter is empowered with the knowledge necessary to make a decision based on the issues and positions of candidates when voting!

Thank you all for your continued support throughout this election and we will see you this weekend as we take the “heel-toe express” through every part of the district for the second time around! God Bless and as always, please feel free to message me with any questions, comments or concerns you may have! 334-357-1827

Link to the article in the Montgomery Advertiser — https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/08/20/political-newcomer-seeks-open-prattville-council-seat/5604531002/

Five more days until we vote to shape the future of our community! I have had several people reach out to me with concerns about recent past attempts to rezone parts of District 5 to multi-family housing. This is an issue that the citizens of District 5 are all-too-familiar with. Just recently, we fought the building of apartments behind Overlook Park and won! A little over a year ago, there was an attempt to rezone the land behind Target into multi-family housing which would have impacted the citizens living in the Eastwood neighborhood. I want to make it clear that I am firmly AGAINST the rezoning of otherwise zoned land to multi-family housing. By law, if an area of open land in Prattville is already zoned for multi-family housing, there is not anything that can be done to change this. That being said, I will fight rezoning of areas not meant for multi-family housing tooth and nail. The few who wanted these multi-family housing developments were those who stood to gain something financially from such an endeavor. I recognize that most of the citizens in District 5 are against more multi-family housing and I firmly stand with them! Among other infrastructure issues they would cause, the biggest may be the added stress to our already burdened school system. In District 5 we encompass both Autauga and Elmore County school systems. My mom retired last year from Prattville High School and my aunt is the principal of Daniel Pratt Elementary School, so I fully understand the state of our schools in Autauga County and have heard first hand from many educators about the strain these developments place on our school systems. We have several fantastic apartment complexes that currently exist in our District. It’s important to note that Daniel Pratt Elementary alone educates students from The Meadows at HomePlace, Eagle Pointe, Rochester Hills, The Mills at 601, Brentwood Landing, The Pointe at Fairview, Summerchase, Highland Lakes and the Station Drive Townhomes in addition to single family homes and two mobile housing areas. I am not against growth by any means, but I believe we must first create the infrastructure necessary to support such growth in a rapidly-developing city and that is what I will strive for if elected to serve on the City Council. Allowing more multi-family housing into the city, and in particular our district, will bring nothing beneficial before we address the overcrowding of our schools and strain on infrastructure. In five short days, I ask that you vote for me and I will do everything in my power to oppose any attempts to rezone District 5 land for multi-family housing!

O N E more week until Prattville’s extremely important Municipal Election! 🇺🇸 To those who have already voted via absentee ballot or plan to, THANK YOU for doing your civic duty! For the rest of us who are voting at the polls on August 25, let’s encourage our friends and family to have their voices be represented well and their desires heard as we vote for both City Council and the Mayoral seat!

We are still working nonstop to ensure we answer any and all questions and spread the word about my platform and what I hope to accomplish if elected! If I am elected to serve our district, my top priority is going to be the constituents of District 5. I’ve personally gone door to door in every single neighborhood in our district to show that I would like to have an open-door policy with the citizens of District 5 where they can come to me to voice their concerns and their desires for our District and our community so that I may be the most accurate representation of them that I can be. Thank you all for your prayers and continued support! In one week, please VOTE ✅📮

One of the greatest freedoms we have in our country is the freedom to vote! Regardless of who you choose to vote for, it is important that we exercise our American right to vote during this upcoming election! If you are unable to vote in person at the polling place for the municipal election on August 25th, please make sure you and/or your loved ones register for an absentee ballot. The deadline to do so is this Thursday August 20th, so don’t wait and make sure your voice can be heard!

Due to COVID-19, the Secretary of State is allowing Alabama voters concerned about the coronavirus to cast an absentee ballot for the 2020 Municipal Election held on August 25, 2020.

You can obtain an absentee ballot application online (https://bit.ly/2Pa7Ff6) or by visiting the City Clerk's office at City Hall. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2P7Lmqp or call 334-595-0120.

Important Dates:
August 10-Last day to register to vote for the municipal election.
August 20- Last day to apply for an absentee ballot.
August 24- Last day to return by hand or have postmarked for mail-in of your absentee ballot. (No later than 5:00 p.m.)
August 25- Voting day!

Hope you all are having a blessed Sunday! Did you know today is National Airborne Day? August 16, 1940 marked the first official Army parachute jump, validating the innovative concept of inserting United States ground combat forces behind a battle line by parachute. National Airborne Day is a day designated by the United States Congress to honor the nation's airborne forces of the Armed Forces. The second picture I’ve shared is the picture taken right after I landed my first jump out of a C-130. Before I became an Officer, Morgan and I both enlisted, she as a medic and me as Airborne Infantry. While I don’t wear the maroon beret or blue cord anymore, it’s something that always sticks with a person and taught me so much as a young man that I feel shaped me into the person I am today.

This past week, I was interviewed by a local newspaper and asked about why I decided to run for City Council. I am running for Prattville City Council District 5 for many of the same reasons that I joined the military. First, I am here to serve and show my gratitude to the very community that helped mold me into the man I am today. I will listen and strive to be the voice of reason that upholds our current way of life, while bringing new and innovative ideas to the table and keeping Prattville the Preferred Community in the River Region. I owe this to the City of Prattville because, since the 8th grade, this community has helped provide my education, introduced me to my wife, blessed me with my beautiful daughter, and continues providing a safe and healthy livelihood for my family. Prattville is our hometown and where we will raise our children, and I want to be a part of the support team that continues our progression forward. Second, I am here to serve in a capacity that focuses on the voice of the citizens of District 5 while leading and keeping Prattville on the right path for tomorrow. With the purest of intentions, I want to ensure our community's future is bright, not only for my daughter as she grows up here but for many generations to come.

If you know someone who was crazy enough to jump out a perfectly good airplane, be sure to wish them a happy National Airborne Day! 😉

Ten days until Election Day! Last night felt extremely weird not being out knocking on doors because Thursday night, we officially made it through every residential area in District 5! That being said, I was super thankful to spend the evening with this sweet girl and play at our local park. As a dad, I am so thankful to have access to the many wonderful recreational spaces provided by our Parks and Recreational Department!

With both Overlook Park and Cooters Pond Park located in District 5, one part of my vision for Prattville is to see our parks and recreational areas improved upon and updated in order to ensure their longevity and access to all 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. As a former athlete, 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!

Have a great Saturday y’all, whether it be at the park, the ball field, or relaxing in the air conditioning! 😊

Our second order of signs came in this afternoon and we got everyone’s out to them!! We still have about 25 signs left so if you would be willing to let us put a sign in your yard for the remaining 12 days leading up to the election we would be so grateful!! If you’re willing and want a sign, message me or shoot me a text or give me a call at 334-357-1827!! Thank you to everyone for your continued support throughout our campaign!! God Bless you all!

For those who have been generous enough to let us put signs in your yard or reached out saying you wanted a sign but have not gotten one yet, I dropped by Vinyl Tech today and our second round of signs should be done tomorrow! We did not expect them to go as fast as they did the first time around and look forward to this second wave coming soon! As soon as we have them in hand, we’re going to get them out to you guys! 👍🏼
Another quick update - We worked the rest of our way through the Highland Ridge neighborhood this evening and are moving on to the Overlook neighborhood tomorrow! As always, if you have any questions for me or aren’t sure where I stand and what I want to make happen for District 5, please know I’m only a phone call or message away. Thank you to all of you for your continued support as we get closer to Election Day in 13 short days! God bless y’all!

Hi all! Blair’s wife Morgan Gornto here, formerly Morgan Boles, and a lot of you may have seen me out campaigning with Blair so I figured it was time to give you all a little insight into who exactly I am as Blair’s other half!

I was born and raised in Prattville, as well as my parents Ray and Angie Boles. I grew up on Overlook Drive and later on in Silver Hills and like both of my parents, I graduated from Prattville High School. I’m so proud to say our daughter Winnie is a fourth generation Prattville citizen and we are so thankful to be raising her in the safest and most beautiful area in the River Region! Blair and I are high school sweethearts (see pictures below from Honors Night and graduation!) and while Blair played baseball at Prattville, I was on the sidelines cheering on the Prattville Lions football team on Friday nights. My dad served on the Prattville City Council in District 6 for 8 years, and I grew up learning about our city and watching him serve this community our family loves so well. Both of my parents own a small business in Prattville - my dad has owned and operated Prattville Carpet for 20+ years and my mom is currently a realtor who specializes in the River Region area. We know how vital small businesses are to this community and what needs happen in order to ensure their success. My uncle recently retired from the Prattville Police Department after 25 years of service; my aunt is the principal of Daniel Pratt Elementary School. I go to Heritage Baptist Church where my dad and grandparents are charter members and where I am blessed to serve in the music ministry as part of the Praise Band and lead music for our VBS program in the summertime. Fun fact - the same pastor, Pastor Roger Parks, who married my parents many years ago later married Blair and me in 2017. My roots run deep in Prattville and I owe so much to the city that made me who I am today.

I have served in the Army National Guard as a 68W (Combat Medic) since 2015 and as a first responder for Haynes Ambulance in Montgomery. Blair and I chose to serve in the Army National Guard because in the Guard, we don’t move around from place to place like our Active Duty counterparts. The thought of leaving both sides of our family, our friends, and amazing hometown made it an easy decision for us that Prattville is where we plan to raise our daughter.

I hope this gives you a little insight into who I am and why Prattville is home to the both of us, and as someone who loves this city more than words could express, I fully believe in Blair and his vision to continue the progression that is taking place in Prattville and know he will do so with the purest of intentions, a true servant’s heart, and the utmost dedication. I hope you’ll join me and vote on August 25th!

❤️ - Morgan

Need a little Monday Motivation? I’ve heard the best weeks start on a Monday! 😉

This week, we’re right back at it walking the district and had a great time meeting folks in Pecan Ridge tonight! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - the most enjoyable part of this journey has been the people I’ve had the opportunity to speak to in person or who have taken the time to call me and have a conversation. To be able to answer your questions and hear your stories has been incredible and I want you to know I don’t take it for granted and encourage you to please feel free to reach out anytime and I’ll continue working to make sure I personally hit every single street in District 5!

Tomorrow evening we’ll be in the Hedgefield and Highland Ridge areas. I am looking forward to what tomorrow brings and meeting people over in those two neighborhoods! See y’all then!!

I think Winnie’s confused about what “running for office” means! 😂

We hope you all have had a safe and happy Saturday in our beautiful city! We are looking forward to a day of rest on Sunday spent with our loved ones after being out every single evening for the past week and a half walking District 5! To our incredible friends and family, thank you for giving up your Saturday today to stand with me and help out with our cause! To the people of District 5, thank you for allowing us to spend time with you introducing who I am and what I stand for and having some great conversations (socially distancing, of course!) All of the support I’ve received has absolutely blown us away and we know this wouldn’t be possible without y’all!

We’ll be back at it Monday so please be sure to keep an eye out for us! Until then, please know you can always reach me at 334-357-1827 with any questions, comments, or concerns. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I hope you guys have a great Sunday tomorrow!

God Bless, Blair

Today is National Purple Heart Day, and as a Purple Heart City, we would like to honor the estimated 1.8 million American troops who have endured immense suffering to earn this prestigious military honor. Join us in making an effort today to thank a Purple Heart recipient for their service and their sacrifice, while bearing in mind those we cannot thank, those who gave their lives for our freedom. We are forever grateful for their devotion to duty and love of our country.

It’s been a busy Thursday in Prattville between the awesome prayer rallies for our law enforcement officers, putting out more signs, and knocking on another 81 doors in District 5 this evening! Thank you to the Autauga Blue Crew for putting these special events together and for giving citizens the chance to connect with and give back to the men and women who serve us day in and day out.

I also want to thank Elmore-Autauga News for the article on my candidacy! In it, you can read more about who I am, what I stand for, and why I chose to run for City Council. Thank you for this platform and y’all please be sure to give it a read and share, share, share!

Blair Gornto Announces Candidacy for Prattville City Council, District 5 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

20 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY! 🇺🇸✔️

Our first wave of signs has made its way out! Thank you to our awesome volunteers and everyone showing their support! We are so grateful for every text and phone call I’ve received, every Facebook message and every time you spread the word to your friends and neighbors! It’s definitely a team effort and we couldn’t make it happen without YOU!

I also want to give a shoutout to Vinyl Tech in Prattville for my campaign signs - these guys are top notch and were a pleasure to work with. We’re thankful for the many small businesses in Prattville and how essential they are to our community! Thank you!

Morgan and I had an awesome time meeting people in District 5 tonight! We got to talk to several people and listened to some concerns about our City and our District that need to be taken care of! Just another reminder that yard signs will be in tomorrow afternoon so if you haven’t already said yes to a yard sign and want one or would be willing to put signs out, please call, text, message, or comment below and we will get those out this week!! We’ll be out and about every night trying our best to get to each and every one of the citizens of District 5, so we look forward to meeting all of you soon! God Bless! 🇺🇸

As someone who has family members who have served in the Prattville Police Department and as first responders, I appreciate everything these men and women do to keep our community safe! You and your families make great sacrifices for ours and it’s often a thankless job! I know our officers don’t do it for the praise, but you’ve certainly earned it and then some! From this thin green line family to yours, we got your six Blue! THANK YOU 🇺🇸

So thankful for our hometown heroes and everything they do to keep Prattville the Preferred Community! Today and every day, let’s be sure to 🇺🇸

Today is “Thank an Officer” Tuesday in our Law Enforcement Appreciation week. Show your love for our locals heroes. Join us in thanking the Prattville Police Department, Autauga County Sheriff's Office and our local Alabama State Troopers by using one or more of the following hashtags and express how thankful you feel.

Happy Sunday, y’all! Blair is officially back from Annual Training with the Army National Guard and we have hit the ground running! The heat’s not going to slow us down! Blair fully believes the Council works solely for its citizens and it’s been so rewarding meeting the many great people in District 5.

Yard signs are coming in next week, so if you’d like a sign to show your support, please send us a message, call, or drop a comment below 😊 Thank you for everyone’s continued support and we look forward to meeting so many more of you!

My name is Blair Gornto and I am running to represent District 5 on the Prattville City Council. I am a Christian, a husband, a father, an 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. 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. I married my high school sweetheart Morgan, who was born and raised in Prattville, in 2017 and we have a one-year-old little girl named Winnie. 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.

I strongly support:

1. Term Limits for All Elected Offices in Prattville
2. First Responders and Law Enforcement Officers – As a member of the military married to a first responder, I stand behind our hometown heroes and commend them for their services to keep our community a safe place to live.
3. Improving the Parks and Recreational Areas – As a father raising a young child in Prattville, I am so grateful to have access to the many wonderful recreational spaces provided by this Department. 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 we are proud to say represent Prattville and its many recreational programs.
4. Small Businesses – Small businesses are the heart and soul of our community and I am proud to have worked at a family-owned small business, Prattville Carpet, since 2013. I rally behind their visions and everything these hard-working individuals contribute to our city.

I am humbly coming to you to ask for your support as I am officially announcing my candidacy for Prattville City Council District 5. My family and I are so thankful for this opportunity and hope to work together to make District 5 and our incredible city reach its fullest potential!