GOP’s Brian Strickland begins campaign for Georgia attorney general

First elected in 2012, Strickland served three terms in the state House of Representatives before winning a special state Senate contest in 2018. He is serving his fourth term in the chamber and chairs the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees civil liberties, constitutional issues and judicial proceedings.

His representation itself has been subject to scrutiny and lawsuits. Strickland’s family lives in McDonough, which is part of the increasingly Democratic Henry County. But his district also includes portions of Walton, Morgan and Newton counties, which are more favorable to Republicans.

Voters opposed to a 2015 redistricting plan filed two federal lawsuits claiming the state illegally drew districts that moved people of color out of areas represented by Strickland and another vulnerable white Republican to protect their seats and dilute voters’ power. Both lawsuits were defeated.

“I represent strong conservative values at the Capitol, yet I’m elected in a district that doesn’t always vote for Republicans,” Strickland said. “It’s because people know me and my reputation that they’re getting with me.”

The job is open because the state’s current attorney general, Chris Carr, is running for Georgia governor.

Strickland, who filed paperwork to run in April, will face fellow Republican state Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, in a primary election. Cowsert, who announced his campaign in April, said Democratic prosecutors have fueled their cases with political bias. He has highlighted his role in scrutinizing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ decision to charge Donald Trump and his allies with election interference.

Credit: AJC file photos

Credit: AJC file photos

Strickland supports the Senate’s prosecutorial oversight mission, which he said provides a way to make certain that they’re doing their jobs.

“At the end of the day, we need to know what went on in (Willis’) office,” he said. “That’s a bipartisan issue.”

So far, no prominent Democrats have announced a campaign for attorney general.

Strickland also wants to protect Georgia’s laws that Republicans “fought hard to pass” from liberal groups that file lawsuits to roll back their implementation, particularly regarding elections and voting, abortion restrictions and immigration.

Voting-rights groups have filed lawsuits to prevent hundreds of thousands of people from being purged from Georgia voting rolls, and a lawsuit backed by then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ campaign challenged Georgia’s election certification rules.

“What we’ve seen the left do is they sue. When they can’t win at the state house, they go and fight in the courthouse,” he said. “A big part of the job of attorney general is to now go and defend those laws that we pass under the Gold Dome in courtrooms.”

However, Republican groups and candidates engage in the same strategy. After losing his reelection campaign in 2020, Trump and his allies brought lawsuits in Georgia and other swing states to overturn the election results. Republicans have also targeted emergency election procedures rolled out during the COVID-19 pandemic, such absentee ballots and ballot drop boxes.

“We should be defending President Trump’s effort to enforce the laws we have on the books now and not get in the way of that,” Strickland said.

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In the legislature, Strickland has been an advocate for mental health and family support — causes that have won him support from Democratic colleagues.

He sponsored laws that speed up the process for people with mental illness who have been accused of committing crimes to get treatment, and a bill that would have ensured pregnant women receive “reasonable” accommodations in their workplaces. He also championed legislation that increased the amount of paid time off new parents can take from three to six weeks, adding that the benefits should go even further.

He also sought to limit the kinds of lawsuits that can be brought against mental health providers. Strickland, a trial attorney, had been among the voices questioning Gov. Brian Kemp’s civil litigation overhaul that aims to limit lawsuits and bring down jury awards. But he won enough concessions through negotiations to feel comfortable voting for it.

“I spent weeks working directly with the (governor’s) team to make sure we have the right balance with that law, to make sure we are truly doing things to try to bring down insurance rates and frivolous litigation while still making sure those who need access to our courts would have it,” he said.

As attorney general, Strickland would also want to use his office to further the work of Carr and first lady Marty Kemp on reducing human trafficking in Georgia.

“The job of this office is to work with local prosecutors who are taking on crime in every corner of the state and help give them the resources they need for organized crime,” he said.

While he plans to defend Trump’s policies, Strickland said he’s also open to working with Democrats.

“I’ll work with anybody that is willing to defend Georgia’s values, defend the laws that we pass, and anybody that’s going to stand up for our law enforcement and stand up against organized crime in our state,” he said.