VALDOSTA — William Whitesell, attorney and owner of William Long Whitesell, LLC, a law firm in Valdosta, has announced that he will run for Superior Court Judge in the Southern Judicial Circuit.

Whitesell will be running for the seat currently held by Judge Richard M. Cowart who has announced his retirement. The circuit includes Brooks, Colquitt, Echols, Lowndes, and Thomas counties.

Whitesell also announced endorsements for his campaign from the sheriffs of four of the five counties in the Southern Judicial Circuit – Sheriff Ashley Paulk (Lowndes), R. Carlton Powell (Thomas), Randy Courson (Echols), and Mike Dewey (Brooks), according to a press release from Whitesell’s campaign.

“Throughout my life, I have been committed to serving others,” Whitesell said in his announcement. “This commitment to service is what drove me to practice law, and it is why I am running for Superior Court Judge. After 23 years of practicing law in our community, I know that the people of South Georgia need an experienced Judge who will serve with integrity, faithfully follow the Constitution and the law, and have the courage to apply the law firmly yet fairly to ensure justice is done.”

In 2022, he ran for the Superior Court seat being vacated by the retirement of Judge James Hardy, but he lost to Catherine Mims Smith of Thomasville in a runoff election.

“With over two decades of experience practicing law, I have real experience in the law … not a mere sampling,” Whitesell said. “I will bring to the bench the necessary experience that the people should expect and can trust on the bench. During my career, I have represented people and businesses on both sides of the courtroom in civil cases, prosecuted crimes in municipal court, defended the accused in private practice, and handled complicated family cases. I also bring the real-world, business perspective of starting and running my own law firm. I understand what it means to have employees who depend on you and the reality of signing both the front and back of your own paycheck. My broad experience makes me uniquely qualified to serve on the bench.”

Whitesell graduated from Valdosta High School. He received his B.A. from Presbyterian College and his law degree from Florida State University.

He got his start as a judicial law clerk for the Southern Judicial Circuit before accepting a position in private practice specializing in insurance defense, criminal law, and real estate law. He then opened his own law firm, William Long Whitesell, LLC. He also serves as the prosecutor in Municipal Court for the city of Remerton, a position he has held for 20 years.

During his career, Whitesell has represented both sides of the courtroom in civil cases. He has prosecuted crimes in municipal court, and he has defended the accused in his private practice and handled complex family cases.

Whitesell said he first found his passion for serving others in the Boy Scouts and eventually as an Eagle Scout, and he continued leading charitable efforts at his college. Now, he serves the community through numerous charities and non-profits, including serving as president of the South Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America and as a board member of the Humane Society of Valdosta/Lowndes County, Partnership Health Center of Valdosta, Scintilla Charter Academy School Board, and of My Father’s Business, which provides free martial counseling.

Whitesell has been married to his wife, Erin, for six years, and they have two children, Will and Cate. He and his family are active members of Park Avenue Methodist Church.