John Cowan

John Cowan captained his college football team before becoming a neurosurgeon, and his business ventures have included an ice cream franchise and a toy and game company.¹ He grew up on a Bartow County farm with a physician father and schoolteacher mother, later graduating from Cartersville High School.²

Cowan studied physics at Davidson College, earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins and completed a neurosurgery residency at the University of Michigan.³ His career has also included a population health fellowship, medical research on healthcare quality and use, and inventions used in medical devices.¹

He and his wife, Anne, also a doctor, have four children, and he serves as an elder in their church.² His community experience has included coaching basketball and soccer and serving with the Rome Area Medical Society and local civic organizations.¹ He previously sought a different congressional seat in 2020.⁴

The Republican now faces Democrat Chris Harden for the open 11th District seat.⁴ Cowan advocates lower federal spending and taxes, stronger border enforcement, nationwide voter identification, congressional term limits and a ban on congressional stock trading.³ On healthcare, he favors greater patient choice and a reduced government role, presenting his medical experience as central to his campaign.⁵³