In Georgia’s 11th District, a test of whether past Trump criticism still matters

That leaves a major question hanging over the May 19 race: In a district where Trump is deeply popular, will Republican voters overlook past skepticism from candidates now wrapped in the MAGA mantle?

Their chief rival, Rob Adkerson, is trying to make sure they don’t. Running with retiring U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk’s endorsement, Adkerson’s campaign has cast Cowan and Pridemore as naked opportunists.

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

“If flip-flopping and revisionist history were Olympic events, these two Never Trumpers would be going for the gold,” campaign deputy Dan McLagan said.

Supporters of both dismiss that argument as vestiges of the past, given that so many in Trump’s inner circle — including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — were initially some of his sharpest detractors.

“When you consider that two of the president’s biggest past critics now serve as his vice president and secretary of state, pointing to Tricia’s skepticism that dates back to 2016 is silly,” said Scott Johnson, a Cobb GOP activist backing Pridemore. “The president focuses on the future, not the past — and Pridemore will do the same.”

Move quickly

The contest may be the only true wild card among Georgia’s four open U.S. House races this cycle.

Trump and other top Republicans moved quickly in the other contests, rallying behind younger, more establishment-friendly candidates. Last week, he backed Houston Gaines to succeed U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and Jim Kingston to succeed U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter. Both Carter and Collins are running for the U.S. Senate.

And in the 14th District special election, Trump endorsed Clay Fuller over more combative, hard-line alternatives. None of those endorsements sparked serious controversy, and each signaled his preference for safer bets over firebrands.

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

The 11th District is different. The seat opened only after Loudermilk’s surprise retirement announcement in February, creating an unexpected scramble.

Trump was expected to support U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach. But Beach declined to run after Trump asked him to remain in his post. That decision left no obvious heir — and opened the door to a crowded fight.

All three candidates are running familiar playbooks in deep-red districts, portraying themselves as dependable Trump allies eager to advance his agenda. They have good reason: Trump’s approval ratings may be softening with the broader electorate, but he remains overwhelmingly popular with Georgia Republicans.

Pridemore has the longest record in Georgia Republican politics of the trio. An aide to former Gov. Nathan Deal, she was his choice to lead the state GOP in 2011. She later mounted an unsuccessful congressional bid in the 2014 race won by Loudermilk. Deal tapped her in 2018 to fill an open seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission.

She was among many state Republican leaders who recoiled at Trump during his 2016 campaign for president. After the release of an 11-year-old tape of Trump making lewd comments about women near the end of the campaign, she declared: “I’m out. Not voting for him. Skipping the presidential on my ballot. Can’t hold my nose hard enough in 2016.”

A Rome neurosurgeon, Cowan was runner-up to Marjorie Taylor Greene in a 2020 race for a neighboring district. His campaign featured dark warnings about how the pandemic was reshaping the nation, including a TV ad in which he aimed an assault-style rifle at a mock coronavirus target.

He was also unsparing in his criticism of the far right. Cowan mocked the QAnon conspiracy theory as “the religion of Trump devotees.” In a 2022 post, he wrote that Trump and Greene “both can’t go down in political flames fast enough.” He has also faced criticism for donating to former Illinois U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger after the Republican voted to impeach Trump.

Since then, Cowan and Pridemore have sharply changed course, echoing many Republicans who once kept Trump at arm’s length but now openly embrace him.

In an interview, Pridemore said Trump was the “difference-maker in this race” and said she would “do everything I can to earn his support.” Her campaign aide, Will Hampson, added she has “consistently stood with Trump since he was first elected.”

Cowan told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution his victory would help Trump “stand up to the crooked Washington establishment.”

“We need more citizen servants to step out of their comfort zone and represent the state with dignity, honor and a lot of hard work.”

Critics of Adkerson say he also has vulnerabilities, pointing to a 2024 post in which he wrote that Trump’s “first presidency, despite being filled with lies and fabrications, resulted in a strong economy” and other benefits. Adkerson said he was referring to lies told about Trump.

“I’m in line with all his policies,” said Adkerson, who noted he voted for Trump three times because his agenda is bringing “world-changing” improvements.

“Fifty to 100 years from now, historians are going to look back and see these were huge.”

A half-dozen activists in the district describe the race as a toss-up. Former 11th District GOP chair Jason Shepherd said the old statements can still be liabilities, though both Cowan and Pridemore have tried to blunt the damage by going all-in for Trump.

“What neither candidate can afford is to not be open and transparent with the voters,” said Shepherd, a Kennesaw State University political scientist. “As politics often shows, a cover-up is often more damaging than the initial incident.”