U.S. House District 11: Cowan and Adkerson advance to GOP runoff
Neurosurgeon John Cowan will face off against Rob Adkerson, a top aide to the outgoing incumbent, in the Republican primary runoff in Georgia’s 11th Congressional District.
The winner of the runoff will face Democrat Chris Harden in November after he won his primary.
Eight Republicans qualified to compete in the primary for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District, a sign of the competitive nature in one of the state’s few open federal seats.
U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, surprised supporters and constituents when he announced in February he would not seek another term.
The district leans Republican, meaning whoever wins the party primary will be considered the front-runner in the general election. Loudermilk won in 2024 with 67% of the vote.
Still, two Democrats signed up to run in their party primary. Harden hopes to ride a blue wave and flip the seat in November.
Georgia’s 11th Congressional District includes counties in the Atlanta suburbs and exurbs heading west from I-75.
Here are the candidates:
Democrat:
Chris Harden
A resident of Cherokee County, Harden owns an estate planning and probate law firm with his wife. He also represents children and families as a government-appointed attorney in juvenile courts.
Harden won the May 19 Democratic primary with 75% of the vote.
Republicans:
Rob Adkerson
Adkerson, who lives in Adairsville, formerly served as Loudermilk’s campaign manager and chief of staff. He resigned from that position in February shortly before launching his campaign to succeed Loudermilk in Congress.
He got his political start in the tea party movement within the Republican Party and said he was motivated to run, in part, after seeing how federal regulations impacted his contracting business.
John Cowan
The Rome-based neurosurgeon and business owner finished second to Marjorie Taylor Greene when he ran in Georgia’s 14th District in 2020.
For his current campaign, he is pitching himself as a “conservative outsider.” He lent his campaign $1.5 million, choosing to mostly self-fund.
About the Author
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
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