TEXARKANA — A lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves has joined the race for the Republican nomination for an open congressional seat in south Arkansas.
John Cowart announced his candidacy Wednesday in Texarkana. The Texarkana Gazette reports that Cowart returned home from serving in Afghanistan a week ago.
Cowart, a police officer with the Texarkana Police Department, led a small team of Marines that lived with and trained Afghan police.
He says he’ll work in Congress to boost the economy and promote conservative family values.
Cowart joins Republicans Tom Cotton, Beth Ann Rankin and Marcus Richmond in the contest for the GOP nomination. State Sen. Gene Jeffress and D.C. Morrison are seeking the Democratic nomination after incumbent Mike Ross said he wouldn’t be running for re-election.