John Cowan

John Cowan is the Republican nominee in Georgia's 11th Congressional District. A Cartersville native, he is a neurosurgeon who describes himself as a small-business owner and a "conservative outsider." He ran unsuccessfully for Georgia's 14th District in 2020 and won the June 16, 2026 Republican runoff for the open 11th District seat.[1][2][3]

Cowan's campaign website says his family has been part of the Bartow County community since the 1930s; his father was a physician and his mother a schoolteacher, and he grew up on the family farm and graduated from Cartersville High School.[2][3] He graduated from Davidson College with a B.S. in physics, received an M.D. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and completed a neurosurgery residency at the University of Michigan Medical School.[2]

Cowan works as a neurosurgeon and says he has cared for patients for over 20 years. He also describes himself as a small-business owner who has built businesses creating jobs in the district.[1][3] As of his 2020 campaign, Ballotpedia listed him as founder of Cortex Toys and Cortex Holdings.[2]

Cowan ran in the 2020 Republican primary for Georgia's 14th District and lost the August 11, 2020 runoff to Marjorie Taylor Greene.[2][4] He advanced from the May 19, 2026 Republican primary and won the June 16, 2026 runoff over Rob Adkerson, 65.0% to 35.0%, for the seat being vacated by Rep. Barry Loudermilk.[2][4] According to his campaign website, he and his wife, Dr. Anne Cowan, are raising four children and are active in their church, where he serves as an elder.[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.