Four vie to become Georgia’s next attorney general
Four lawyers are competing to become Georgia’s next attorney general — a post that would allow them to shape the state’s law enforcement priorities for at least the next four years.
As the state’s top legal officer, the attorney general oversees hundreds of attorneys and other employees who advise state agencies, represent the state in civil litigation and prosecute criminal cases dealing with such matters as human trafficking, gang activity, organized retail crime and white-collar crime.
Republican Attorney General Chris Carr chose to run for governor rather than seek reelection.
Here’s a look at the candidates running to replace him.
Democrats
Tanya Miller
Miller has spent three years in the state House of Representatives, representing Atlanta-area District 62. She serves as minority caucus chair and on the House rules, ethics, code revision and audits committees.
She’s a former federal and Fulton County prosecutor whose private practice focuses on wrongful death, personal injury, complex criminal defense and civil rights litigation.
If elected, Miller says she’ll target violent criminal networks, human trafficking rings and people who traffic illegal guns and drugs like fentanyl. She also says she’ll support more resources for local police, prioritize prosecuting crimes against children and promote “evidence-based policies that reduce recidivism and make our communities safer in the long run.”
Bob Trammell
Trammell served the Lagrange-area state House District 132 for six years before he lost a reelection bid in 2020. He served as minority leader and member of the ways and means, ethics, governmental affairs and other committees. He practices law in Luthersville.
If elected, Trammell says he’ll focus on human trafficking, drugs and gangs. He also plans to target fraud and financial schemes, online scams and misuse of data. And, he says, “Free speech and fair elections are non-negotiable.”
“Georgia’s strength comes from the rights and freedoms of its people,” Trammell says. “We must protect reproductive rights, civil rights and ensure equal treatment under the law.”
Republicans
Bill Cowsert
Cowsert has represented Athens-area Senate District 46 since 2007. He’s chairman of the Regulated Industries Committee and vice chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Most recently, he chaired the special committee investigating Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. He practices law in Athens.
If elected, he says he’ll create a task force to help local DAs prosecutethe worst offenses. He also pledges to stop “rogue prosecutors,” like Willis, whom critics say prosecuted President Donald Trump for political purposes.
Cowsert says he’ll have a “zero tolerance policy for violent gangs, sex traffickers, fentanyl pushers, criminal illegals, prosecutors who weaponize the judicial system and the lunacy infecting the radical left.”
Brian Strickland
Strickland served three terms in the Georgia House of Representatives before his election to Senate District 42 in 2018. He’s chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and serves on the appropriations, banking, ethics and other committees. Strickland practices law in McDonough.
If elected, Strickland says his priorities will include expanding gang and drug task forces to coordinate statewide crackdowns on violent crime, defending election integrity, supporting gun owners’ rights and fighting illegal immigration.
He also supports a “parents’ bill of rights” to “protect our children from radical agendas in the classroom.” And he vows to protect seniors and small businesses from financial scams and to fight other fraud.
About the Author
David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
