Gov. Sonny Perdue said Saturday that he has made the Georgia government more efficient over the past eight years and he thinks Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal will continue that trend.

“We want a governor who’s dedicated and focused on the job at hand, with integrity and honesty,” Perdue said. “That’s who [Deal] is.”

Perdue joined Deal and several other Republican candidates in Carroll County Saturday at the annual customer appreciation day and dove shoot hosted by North Georgia Turf and Sports Turf.

Aaron McWhorter, one of the event organizers and owner of the turf companies, said the event attracted about 500 people.

“We started inviting candidates we want to support about 10 years ago,” McWhorter said.

Deal and Democrat and former governor Roy Barnes are campaigning for the governor’s office.

Perdue said Deal is a good listener, able to respond to people and lead.

“Deal will do an honest and fair job,” Perdue said.

Barnes will bring the arrogance of President Barack Obama to Georgia, Perdue said.

“We can lead this country out of the recession. We can be the state that rebounds first because we have all the ingredients necessary,” Deal said.

Deal said he grew up in Georgia, his parents taught in Georgia and he participated in the FFA. He said he knows that agriculture, from timber to chickens, drive the state’s economy.

“We have challenges, there’s no question about it, but the folks on the Republican ticket are people who will move the state in the right direction,” he said.

Deal said he know the importance of public education and good teachers.

“Ninety-four percent of students get their education from public schools,” Deal said. “I’m not the enemy of the teachers.”

He said the first issue he plans to address if he is elected is the water conservation problem in the state, and that illegal immigration needs to be an issue addressed by the state and federal government.

“It is costing our state well in excess of $1 million a year,” he said. “It is an important problem.”

He said the federal government has never taken on the issue because no president has ever considered it important.

Also present Saturday was Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who is running for re-election. He said Perdue helped shape the state.

“He was able to help us balance the budget without raising taxes on the residents of Georgia,” Cagle said.

If re-elected, Cagle hopes to help Deal shape the future of Georgia.

U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey served with Deal in Congress and has been working with him on his campaign.

“I look forward to him being our next governor,” Gingrey said.

Some of the other Republican candidates who spoke were Secretary of State Brian Kemp; Sam Olens, attorney general candidate; Gary Black, agriculture commissioner candidate; John D. Burge, state school superintendent candidate; Tim Echols, public service commissioner candidate; and Mark Butler, labor commissioner candidate.