(The Center Square) – Two Republicans are now in the race for Georgia attorney general.
Attorney General Chris Carr is not seeking reelection, instead announcing last year he is running for governor.
State Sens. Bill Cowsert and Brian Strickland are running to succeed Carr. The two will face off in the 2026 Republican primary.
Strickland is the latest to throw his hat in the ring. He has chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee and served as floor leader for Govs. Brian Kemp and Nathan Deal.
Strickland’s announcement did not mention his Republican opponent, but said Democrats have “thrown everything at him” from attack ads to redistricting maps.
“Democrats couldn’t beat me at the ballot box, so they tried to sue me out of my seat. They lost there, too,” Strickland said. “Now they’re trying to erase everything that makes Georgia strong – our heartbeat law, our gun rights, our election integrity, our right to protect girls’ sports. As attorney general, I won’t let it happen.”
Cowsert chairs the Senate Special Investigative Committee on Investigations, which began looking into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office indictment of President Donald Trump and others. The committee has since expanded to include an investigation into the New Georgia Project and Power Forward Communities founded by former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
“DA Fani Willis, NY AG Letitia James, and other partisan prosecutors have undermined public confidence in the fairness of our criminal justice system,” Cowsert said in his announcement on his campaign website. “Their abuse of power is a threat to the rule of law, and it’s time to put an end to the weaponization of our justice system. I will vigorously prosecute corruption of any kind by any politician in either party. As Georgia’s Attorney General, I will enforce the law without fear or favor. That is the leadership I will provide.”
No Democrat has announced they will seek the seat.
A date for the primary has not been set.
