A career prosecutor, lifelong conservative, and daughter of the famous football coach
will seek to replace retiring State Attorney Bill Eddins in the First Judicial Circuit.
Ginger Bowden Madden today announced she is running for State Attorney in the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, seeking to replace Bill Eddins, who is retiring. Bowden Madden has served as an assistant state attorney for over 25 years prosecuting cases in every division of criminal court–circuit, county, and juvenile court. She currently supervises assistant prosecutors serving in county and juvenile courts. She is especially proud of her time serving as lead prosecutor in several innovative programs to include Florida’s first Veterans Treatment Court, which she helped establish with retired Judge Patt Maney.
“I’m so excited to begin this new phase of public service, by putting my name before the voters and earning their trust to lead this critically important office,” said candidate Ginger Bowden Madden. “Our police, sheriffs’ offices, and other first responders do a magnificent job as our first line of defense. It is the State Attorney’s responsibility to see that work through to its proper conclusion, to put dangerous criminals behind bars and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
Bowden Madden has handled thousands of cases and has tried over 200 trials to verdict. She has lived in Okaloosa County for 38 years, and her involvement in the legal community is extensive. She has served as President of the Okaloosa-Walton Bar Association, as a member of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, and as a member of the prestigious Federalist Society, which fosters a conservative legal philosophy for lawyers and judges.
Bowden Madden outlined her vision to keep Florida’s Panhandle safe: “As Florida continues to grow, we have seen a greater threat of human trafficking and gang activity creep into Northwest Florida. As a woman, and as a mother, I have a zero tolerance for any threat to the safety and well-being of our children and most vulnerable, and I will work with our law enforcement to forcefully deal with that kind of criminal behavior.
Bowden Madden sits on the Board of Directors of Shelter House. Both current and past civic involvement also includes Homeless Veteran’s Stand Down, Krewe of Bowlegs, Fort Walton Beach Junior League, the Stage Crafters Theatre, FSU Seminole Boosters, and a number of supporting organizations for Choctawhatchee High School. She is currently a member of Shalimar First United Methodist Church.
“We must be firm, but we also must understand that some offenders require a different approach,” said Bowden Madden. “Addicts, the homeless, perhaps struggling veterans, or those who have simply been lost and left behind, without a loving family or support structure, need to be dealt with wisdom and care. For non-violent offenders, we have great opportunities to get people out of trouble and back on their own two feet.”
In addition to her community involvement, Bowden Madden has supported the Air Force Special Operations School by speaking quarterly to foreign and U.S. military officers about the state prosecutor’s role in the U.S. justice system. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Troy State University, where she majored in Business Management. She earned her law degree from Florida State University.
Family is central to Bowden Madden’s life. Her oldest son, John, Jr., is a former felony prosecutor and now is a partner in the law firm of Campbell & Madden in Okaloosa County. Her other son Mike recently completed graduate school at Florida State University and works for the Wake Forest University Football Program. She comes from a football-rich family, as daughter to legendary Coach Bobby Bowden, and sister to Coaches Tommy, Terry, and Jeff Bowden.
“When I was growing up, teamwork and leadership came up in every conversation,” said Bowden Madden. “What I was taught then has followed me my whole life: no one can lead without first proving character and commitment. I’m pursuing this office because I’m committed to the citizens of our four Counties—to keep them safe and protect our most vulnerable.”
