Stultz snares Walker County Commission District 4 seat
Robert A. Stultz sailed to victory Aug. 11 in the runoff against Alan Painter for the Walker County Commission District 4 seat.
Stultz netted 1,307 votes (61.22%) compared to Painter’s 828 (38.78%), according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s website. The results are unofficial until certified by the Secretary of State.
“My campaign of being the taxpayer’s best friend came up short,” Painter said.
The five-way Republican primary race for the Walker County Board of Commissioners District 4 narrowed the field to two candidates, Stultz and Painter, who faced off in the Aug. 11 runoff to represent a district that includes the city of
Lookout Mountain and ranges from the north end of the county to the south end.
Stultz and Painter had captured 35% and 23% of the votes, respectively, in the June 9 primary, edging out opponents Daryl Massey,
Mike Nowlin and Alan Slaven.
No Democratic or third- party candidate qualified to run for the District 4 seat in the Nov. 3 general election.
“Over the next four months I will be shadowing elected officials to better understand the operation of each individual office,” Stultz said. “Prior to commissioner training in December at the University of Georgia, I will be enrolling in various government courses through the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.”
Stultz
“I am very honored to have been the winner of the primary and the runoff election,” Stultz said. “It was difficult to campaign due to the pandemic, but we managed to meet voters through social media, phone calls and social distancing campaigning.
“The outpouring of support during the campaign and the runoff from all over Walker County has been humbling and heart warming,” he said. “This has ranged from people volunteering to put signs out, make phone calls, write letters and word of mouth.”
Stultz said he has worked in primary care medicine in the Northwest Georgia area for 25 years, servicing Walker County citizens in various clinical settings during his career as a physician
assistant. He has provided healthcare and medical consulting services for several area municipalities and counties.
Working along with Sheriff Steve Wilson and Sheriff’s Office Maj. Mike Freeman, he provided a high level of care to the incarcerated while instituting costsavings, he said during the campaign. He also served as deputy coroner of Walker County from 2018-19.
Stultz identified as priorities economic growth and business development, continuing the county’s agricultural heritage and growth, improving infrastructure, improving access to high quality healthcare in the community, decreasing illicit drug activity and supporting law enforcement.
“Mr. Painter ran a hard fought campaign, and I wish him well in his future endeavors,” he said.
Painter
“God has closed this door (election to the District 4 seat) but opened another,” said Painter, a semi-retired software architect. “I am close to accepting an offer to become the chief architect in a joint operation with the White House, Department of State, U.S. Army, our military allies and NATO.”
Painter’s campaign website emphasized his commitment to public service over politics. His future plans will continue in that vein while allowing him to work from his home.
His platform included using his project management expertise to drive county government costs lower, to protect farmers and agribusiness by being “a loud voice for strong right to farm laws,” to restripe roads to increase safety for motorists and to work with state agencies towards upgrading the stop signs with red LEDs at the intersection of Ga. Highways 341 and 193 and to hold community meetings to gain input for other locations.
Painter said he is concerned that political friction between former Sole Commissioner Bebe Heiskell and the current Commissioner Shannon Whitfield and his supporters could infect the new Board of Commissioners who will take office in January.