Thomas Govan announced he is seeking the Republican Party nomination for Place 2 on the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in the March 2024 primary.

The seat is held by Judge Chris McCool, who recently announced his candidacy for the Alabama Supreme Court.

“As a lifelong conservative and experienced champion for justice in our great state, my top priority is creating a just and effective court that Alabamians will trust and believe in,” Govan said. “If given the privilege of serving the great state of Alabama on the Court of Criminal Appeals, I will defend the rule of law, protect our freedoms, and uphold the Constitution.”

Govan has spent his entire career in public service as a prosecutor and serves as the chief of the Criminal Trials Division of the Alabama attorney general’s office.

A graduate of the University of Alabama, Govan earned his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.

For more than 15 years, Govan has served as a prosecutor in state and federal courts, including capital murder and death penalty cases on appeal for more than a decade, rising to become the chief of the Capital Litigation Division.

Govan litigated cases throughout the state and in federal courts, including arguing a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. He also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Alabama.

Govan is an officer in the Air Force Reserve and he and his wife, Jessica, have four children. Jessica is a teacher and small business owner. They are active members of their church in Montgomery where he serves as an elder, Sunday school teacher, and member of the choir.