Chris
Harden
Democratic attorney and GA-11 nominee running for an open seat in Georgia's northwest suburbs
- sources
- 11
- positions
- 10
- endorsements
- 1
Background
Chris Harden is the Democratic nominee for Georgia's 11th Congressional District in the 2026 general election, following incumbent Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk's decision not to seek reelection, making it an open-seat contest. 1816
Harden is an attorney based in Woodstock, Georgia, where he and his wife operate an estate-planning and probate law firm. He also represents children and families in juvenile courts and describes himself as a parent-defense attorney with more than 14 years of experience. 1916
A native of Rossville, Georgia, Harden was raised in a working-class family and worked full time while attending school at night, including jobs driving a forklift and loading trucks. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in history from Georgia State University and a law degree from John Marshall Law School in 2012. 19
Harden holds no current elected office and has not previously held elected office according to available sources. He won the Democratic primary to become the party's nominee for GA-11. 1816
At a glance
- Party
- Democratic
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 11, Georgia
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- Attorney; Democratic nominee for Georgia's 11th Congressional District
- Website
- electharden.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 7newsNorthwest Georgia News sample ballot lists Harden and Cowan for District 11
A sample-ballot page published by Northwest Georgia News listed John Cowan (R) and Chris Harden (D) as the candidates for Georgia's 11th Congressional District on the November ballot.
Page A8 · Oct 7, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Oct 1newsFox 5 Atlanta identifies Harden and Cowan as the two candidates for Georgia's 11th District
A Fox 5 Atlanta midterm election overview confirmed Chris Harden (D) and John Cowan (R) as the candidates for Georgia's 11th Congressional District, noting that incumbent Rep. Barry Loudermilk was not seeking reelection.
Georgia's 2026 midterm election: The major races and ... · Oct 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 24newsHarden outlines childcare, paid leave, and public school funding priorities in GEEARS questionnaire
In a candidate questionnaire hosted by GEEARS, Harden stated he would advocate for universal childcare for all children in Georgia, fight for paid family leave, and push for more funding and investment in public schools.
Chris Harden · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 15newsHarden campaign releases internal poll showing him ahead of Cowan
Harden's campaign publicly released poll results via PRLog showing him leading John Cowan 42%–40% on an initial ballot and 45%–42% after voters received additional candidate information. The poll was conducted by Miller Consulting Services and sponsored by the Harden campaign.
September 15, 2026 News · Sep 15, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 11pollHarden campaign poll closes after showing lead over Cowan
The Miller Consulting Services poll, conducted August 31–September 11 and sponsored by Harden, concluded. The NYT polling tracker listed these results: Harden 42%, Cowan 40% (initial); Harden 45%, Cowan 42% (after additional info). Sample size and margin of error were not publicly available.
Georgia 11th Congressional District 2026: Latest Polls · Sep 21, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Aug 31pollHarden campaign poll opens, showing him leading Cowan 42%–40%
A poll conducted August 31–September 11 by Miller Consulting Services, sponsored by the Harden campaign, showed Chris Harden leading Republican John Cowan 42% to 40% on an initial ballot, and 45% to 42% after voters received additional candidate information.
September 15, 2026 News · Sep 15, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Jun 30filingHarden reports $75,000 raised, $72,000 spent, and $2,000 cash on hand through June 30 FEC cutoff
FEC-reported campaign finance figures through June 30 showed Harden's committee had raised $75,000, spent $72,000, and held $2,000 cash on hand. These figures cover only the candidate committee, not outside-group spending.
Georgia's 11th Congressional District 2026: Harden vs. Cowan | ChamberLight · Sep 28, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- Centrist Independent Voter PAC (CIVPAC) organizationCIVPAC endorses Chris Harden, the Democratic nominee, for the U.S. House of Representatives in Georgia's 11th Congressional District. The endorsement page was indexed as published August 24, 2026, and later updated October 1, 2026. CIVPAC had previously endorsed Republican John Cowan in the Republican primary. centristindependentvoter.com · Aug 24, 2026
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $75K
- Spent
- $72K
- Cash on hand
- $2,237
As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6GA11116(opens in a new tab)
Sources 11
- [1] Page A8(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
- [2] Georgia's 2026 midterm election: The major races and ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
- [3] Georgia's 11th Congressional District 2026: Harden vs. Cowan | ChamberLight(opens in a new tab) Sep 28, 2026
- [4] Chris Harden(opens in a new tab) Sep 24, 2026
- [5] Georgia 11th Congressional District 2026: Latest Polls(opens in a new tab) Sep 21, 2026
- [6] September 15, 2026 News(opens in a new tab) Sep 15, 2026
- [7] Chris Harden Endorsement | Georgia 11th District | CIVPAC(opens in a new tab) Aug 24, 2026
- [8] Chris Harden for Congress | Democratic Candidate for GA-11(opens in a new tab) Jun 15, 2026
- [9] Chris Harden News & Media | Georgia District 11 Campaign(opens in a new tab) Jun 15, 2026
- [10] Chris Harden: Candidate For Congress District 11(opens in a new tab) May 8, 2026
- [11] Atlanta Press Club | Georgia Congressional District 11 ...(opens in a new tab) Apr 23, 2026