Local doctor to jump into U.S. House seat race
♦ Dr. John Cowan is expected to announce his bid for Graves’ seat this week.
A well-known Harbin Clinic neurosurgeon is expected to announce his bid this week for the U.S. House seat for the 14th District to be vacated by current Rep. Tom Graves.
Dr. John Cowan, who is also the
CEO of Rome-based Cortex Toys, has hinted for a few weeks at his desire to run for the seat as a Republican.
“Rome has long wanted someone from this community to represent Northwest Georgia in Congress,” former Floyd County GOP chair Andy Garner said Monday. “John Cowan fits the bill for this district. He’s served our region as a neurosurgeon and church leader, he brings healthcare expertise we desperately need in Washington, he’s not a politician and he’s a staunch conservative.”
Local and state leaders have admitted they were surprised on Dec. 5 when Graves announced, via Twitter, that he was not seeking re-election in 2020 to a sixth term.
The race for the post is likely to be a short lived one with qualifying in March and then the primary in May.
So far, two other people have stepped in to say they’re running for the seat as well.
Both Clayton Fuller and Marjorie Greene have been campaigning around Rome and the district after announcing their intentions.
Fuller, an Air Force veteran from Lookout Mountain and a former assistant district attorney, was appointed by President Donald Trump as a White House Fellow and recently worked in the office of the vice president, his announcement stated.
Greene, a wealthy businesswoman from Alpharetta, switched from challenging U.S. Rep. Karen Handel in the District 6 race and became the first person to enter the District 14 contest following the announcement by Graves.
Both Fuller and Greene were at a luncheon hosted by the Floyd County Republican Women last week.
There will likely be more candidates who announce they’re running for the post before qualifying begins. State Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-rome, is the only local legislator who has not outright said they’re not running for the post.
As for any opposition from the Democratic Party in November, there have been no announcements as of yet. Ruth Demeter, who chairs the Floyd County party, said they expect to field a candidate.