Georgia State Sen. Nikema Williams has tapped to replace the late Rep. John Lewis on the ballot in November.
If elected, Williams would be the first Black woman to lead the Georgia Democratic Party to serve the Atlanta-area district in Congress.
The news was announced less than 72 hours after Lewis’s death.
Lewis died July 17 after a six-month battle with cancer. He was 80.
Lewis was a renowned civil rights activist and was one of many activists who were brutally beaten by police during a landmark 1965 march in Selma, Alabama.
“It is with inconsolable grief and enduring sadness that we announce the passing of U.S. Rep. John Lewis,” his family said in a statement at the time of his death. “He was honored and respected as the conscience of the US Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother. He was a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed.”
Williams praised Lewis ahead of the vote.
“Nobody could possibly fill the shoes of Congressman Lewis, but his leadership and fighting spirit is needed now more than ever in this country,” Williams said. “We need someone who’s not afraid to put themselves on the line for their constituents in the same way Congressman Lewis taught us to. I would be honored if you chose me to be that person.”
And they did choose her.
