Incumbent
Bill Cowsert
Georgia Republican Attorney General nominee?
$24.1K
MAY 20, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleState Senator
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age67 years old (Sep 1, 1958)
GenderMale
Show moreShow less
LocationGeorgia
BackgroundAttorney
EducationPresbyterian College — B.S. in Business Administration
Notable personal detailsWilliam Stone "Bill" Cowsert is an American attorney and Republican politician who has represented Georgia State Senate District 46 (Athens-area) since 2007. He previously served as Majority Leader of the Georgia Senate (2014–2019) and has chaired the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities. Cowsert is a founding partner of an Athens-based law firm and has run for Attorney General of Georgia.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports lower taxes and reduced regulation as part of pro-business, conservative fiscal policy while acknowledging fiscal constraints; has expressed support for eliminating state income tax but noted the resulting revenue loss and emphasized the need for balanced budgets and property tax relief. Has also voted for targeted tax increases (e.g., a 2015 transportation revenue measure) while characterizing them as short-term measures toward long-term tax reductions.
Healthcare
Bill Cowsert has generally opposed full Medicaid expansion while supporting targeted regulatory reforms to increase healthcare access in rural areas (certificate-of-need changes) and has favored studying alternatives such as waiver-based approaches. He cast procedural votes that kept broad Medicaid expansion proposals from advancing and advocated for committee study of Medicaid expansion options rather than immediate enrollment expansion. His record reflects preference for incremental or market-oriented changes rather than adopting an ACA-style expansion without modifications.
Show moreShow less
Immigration & Border
Bill Cowsert emphasizes a law-and-order, enforcement-first approach to immigration and border issues, calling for aggressive crackdowns on undocumented immigrants, sanctuary cities, and criminal networks tied to trafficking and fentanyl. He pledges to use the Attorney General’s legal powers to prosecute and “slam the door shut” on sanctuary jurisdictions and to prioritize removing criminal noncitizens from Georgia.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Opposes abortion access and has supported restrictive abortion measures, including backing the 2019 “heartbeat” (LIFE Act) restrictions and sponsoring legislation to limit distribution/use of medication abortion. Positions emphasize pro-life policy and limits on abortion access.
Climate & Energy
Bill Cowsert has served as chair of the Georgia Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee and has participated in legislation and committee actions that protect utility contracting practices and limit local restrictions on fossil-fuel infrastructure. His legislative activity includes involvement with bills affecting solar contract terms and measures (such as HB150) that restrict local government limits on natural gas hookups, and he was a member of a state transportation electrification study committee whose recommendations did not advance all pro-EV measures.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports protecting Second Amendment rights and emphasizes law-and-order approaches to public safety, including tougher prosecution of violent crime, gangs, sex trafficking, and drug traffickers. Has a record of voting in favor of expanded gun-carry policies (campus-carry vote) while signaling responsiveness to constituent concerns on specific bills.
News
Bill Cowsert is running in Georgia’s 2026 Republican attorney general race, which is still undecided. He has been part of the candidate debates and early election coverage as the primary season gets underway. The race is drawing unusual attention and money because the attorney general’s office is seen as increasingly important in state and national politics.
Four vie to become Georgia’s next attorney general
Georgia midterm candidates hit debate stage next week. How to watch
Big money flows into state attorney general races as legal battles shape American politics
Georgia’s 2026 battlefield takes shape as election qualifying begins
Endorsements
Endorsers of Bill Cowsert for Georgia Republican Attorney General nominee?
Shelley Wynter Show
Elected official
Shelley Wynter Show endorsed Bill Cowsert in Georgia's attorney general race.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Fundraising