The race for the Republican nomination to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., continues to focus on President Donald Trump and his policies.
That’s likely because the president has not endorsed a Republican in the primary election for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District.
Loudermilk, who announced he wouldn’t be running for reelection in February, has served in his seat for over a decade.
Despite Trump not weighing in on the race thus far, there’s one candidate who has the outgoing Congressman’s backing: his former chief of staff, Rob Adkerson.
At an Atlanta Press Club debate last month, he said he’s learned a lot serving under Loudermilk, but that he’s ready to differentiate himself from his past boss.
“We are different people. We are heading into a new age. I am very attuned to the digital age,” he said.
His campaign has focused on his anti-abortion rights stance, ardent conservatism — and opposition to outgoing Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tricia Pridemore.
Pridemore has served on a variety of energy industry boards and has sat on the PSC since 2018. She also worked on the transition teams for Governors Brian Kemp and Nathan Deal.
In February, shortly after Loudermilk’s announcement, Pridemore said she wouldn’t seek reelection on the regulatory commission.
During the debate, Adkerson criticized Pridemore for Georgia Power’s six utility rate increases since 2023. The PSC, which regulates the energy company, is currently considering a deal to save customers some money on their power bills.
Pridemore pushed back on details she said Adkerson had gotten wrong and blamed him, in part, for the commission losing two “red” seats to Democrats last year.
“Maybe if you would have spent a little more time last year helping us elect two Republicans to the Public Service Commission out there, knocking doors, on the stump, making calls as I did,” he’d “know,” as she put it.
Pridemore, whose priorities include “sealing” the border and cutting spending, has been criticized by fellow Republicans for old social media posts and comments about the president, which she’s fought to reframe in her campaign.
Another candidate who has faced pushback is neurosurgeon Dr. John Cowan, also for comments on Trump and the Republican Party.
During the debate, former Pickens County Republican Party Chair Chris Mora targeted Cowan on this topic. Mora said he’d rather root for Trump, but Cowan argued while he does support the President, “I want to form a more perfect union, I want to form a more perfect Republican Party and a better country, and if that means speaking my mind at times, I will.”
Mora has campaigned on a “secure communities, strong families and a prosperous Georgia,” according to his official website.
Cowan, who has focused on healthcare and economic issues, previously ran against now-former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in the District 14 primary in 2020. He ultimately lost in the runoff.
Also appearing in the debate was machinist John Hobbs. He touted his blue-collar background and said he supports continuing the president’s work, particularly in imposing tariffs and other economic policies.
And public health professional Uloma Kama said she supports diversity and inclusion for “America-first” women of color. A press club panelist pointed out that appears to divert from Trump’s own anti-DEI policies, though Kama pushed back on that.
Also on the Republican primary ballot are Lisa Carlquist and William Brown, but neither appeared at the Atlanta Press Club debate.
Democratic candidates in Georgia’s 11th District primary
Meanwhile, two Democrats campaigning for the chance to replace Loudermilk and flip the seat to blue are seeking to convince voters they’re the best choice to win Georgia’s solidly red District 11.
Both are hoping that fatigue with Congressional partisanship and Trump will give them the boost they need.
Defense attorney Chris Harden said as a local, he’s uniquely qualified to win in the deep-red district.
“I’ve been in North Georgia my whole life. My colleagues and friends are all conservative, and I’ve done these debates with them my entire life,” he argued. “But I know how to reach them. And at the end of the day there’s a lot of them who voted for Trump who didn’t vote for what they’re getting.”
And real estate and hospitality professional Barry Wolfert said, with Americans tired of partisanship at the Capitol, “What we need to do is work across the aisle. We need to find people who are willing to work for problem solving. I am ready on Day One, I will reach out to anybody who wants to help reduce your healthcare costs, wants to work to save social security, wants to help you with your Medicare,” Wolfert said.
During their debate, both candidates were closely aligned on many issues, including reproductive rights and affordability, with Harden describing himself as a moderate Democrat.
The Democratic and Republican primaries are on Tuesday, May 19. Any race where a candidate does not get 50% or more of the vote will go to a runoff.
