Jul 20, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Chair of Georgia Democrats tapped to succeed Rep. John Lewis

Rashaan Ayesh

Nikema Williams and Tom Perez — DNC chair Tom Perez with state Sen. Nikema Williams. Photo: AP/Ron Harris

The Democratic Party of Georgia on Monday selected its chair, state Sen. Nikema Williams, to replace the late John Lewis on the ballot for Georgia's fifth congressional district in November, AP reports.

Why it matters: The 41-year-old Williams is very likely to win in the heavily Democratic district in November, succeeding a civil rights icon who served the district since 1987 and was known as "the conscience of the House."

The Georgia state party said it received 131 applications to fill Lewis' spot on the ballot and narrowed the list down to five finalists, according to AP.
Williams will face off in November against Republican Angela Stanton-King, a reality TV personality who spent two years in prison for her role in a car theft ring and was pardoned by President Trump earlier this year. Stanton-King is a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy.

Go deeper: John Lewis remembered as "one of the greatest heroes of American history"

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Chair of Georgia Democrats tapped to succeed Rep. John Lewis

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