(Georgia Recorder) — Former House Minority Leader Bob Trammell announced Wednesday that he will run for attorney general in Georgia next year, making him the first Democrat to enter the race for what will be an open seat.
Trammell, who is an attorney in his hometown of Luthersville, had previously filed paperwork exploring a campaign but made it official Wednesday. This will be Trammell’s first time running for statewide office.
“The only way to bring about real change in Georgia is to take on the special interests and cynical politics that are holding us back – and fight for what’s right,” Trammell said in a statement announcing his campaign.
“At a time when Georgians are feeling the pressures of an erratic economy, corporate corruption, insidious frauds and scams, and the erosion of our rights, Georgians deserve someone who will fight for them – every day,” he added. “Simply put, Georgia is worth fighting for.”
Trammell is a former state House lawmaker who was elected in 2014 to represent a rural west Georgia district. He became House minority leader in 2017, succeeding Stacey Abrams. He served until Republicans spent big in 2020 to flip the seat and knock out the House Democrats’ top leader.
Sitting Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican who has served as attorney general for nearly a decade, is vacating the office to run for governor, creating one of several open statewide offices that will be on the ballot next year.
On the Republican side of the race to replace Carr, two state senators – Bill Cowsert and Brian Strickland– have already launched their campaigns for attorney general.
The attorney general is the state’s top law enforcement officer, a legal advisor to the governor and state agencies, and represents the state in the legal matters.
Nationally, Democratic attorneys general are involved in a flurry of lawsuits challenging the Trump administration’s actions. Before Trump took office for a second term, Carr regularly led or participated in lawsuits challenging the Biden administration’s policies.
