Cowan clinches Georgia House seat held by retiring Loudermilk

Republican John Cowan, a neurosurgeon and small-business owner, is projected to win Georgia’s 11th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ, defeating Democratic Woodstock attorney Chris Harden in the open race.

Cowan led Harden 53.8 percent to 46.2 percent with 76 percent of the vote reported, according to DDHQ as of 9:17 p.m. EST Tuesday.

Cowan will succeed retiring Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who has represented the northwest Georgia district since 2015.

The district, which includes parts of Cobb, Cherokee, Bartow, Gordon and Pickens counties, has long been considered a Republican stronghold. President Trump carried it by roughly 23 percentage points in 2024, while Loudermilk won reelection that year by nearly 35 percentage points.

Trump threw his support behind the board-certified neurosurgeon in July, describing him as an “America First Patriot” who will “Advance Election Integrity” while promising to cut taxes and expand domestic energy production.

This is Cowan’s second run for Congress , after first seeking a House seat in 2020 in Georgia’s neighboring 14th Congressional District. He advanced to a Republican primary runoff before losing to former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

He returned to the campaign trail after Loudermilk announced that he would not seek reelection, entering a crowded seven-way Republican primary that included Loudermilk’s former chief of staff and preferred successor, Rob Adkerson.

Cowan emerged as the leading candidate in the May primary with nearly 43 percent of the vote, followed by Adkerson with about 22 percent. Former Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore finished third, failing to advance to the runoff. Cowan ultimately went on to defeat Adkerson in the June runoff by a decisive 65 percent of the vote versus Adkerson’s 35 percent, securing the Republican nomination despite his opponent’s backing from Loudermilk.

The Georgia Republican has practiced medicine in Georgia for more than a decade. He graduated from Davidson College and earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University before completing his neurosurgery residency at the University of Michigan.