Summary
Current Position: US Representative of GA 5th District since 2021
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: State Senator for GA-05 from 2017 – 2021
District: Based in central Fulton and parts of DeKalb and Clayton counties, the majority black district includes almost three-fourths of Atlanta, the state capital and largest city.
Upcoming Election:
Featured Quote:
Ready to fight #OutLoudOnPurpose for the full promise of America, for all of us, no matter your zip code, no matter your bank account. Reporting for duty as #CongresswomanNikema!
Rep. Nikema Williams: It’s my turn to pick up the mantle
OnAir Post: Nikema Williams GA-05
News
About
Source: Government page
Congresswoman Nikema Williams has been a fierce advocate for social justice, women and families throughout her political and professional career.
As a Member of Congress, Congresswoman Williams continues to uplift the legacy of her mentor and predecessor, Congressman John Lewis, by fighting to prevent voter suppression and expand free and fair access to the ballot box.
She always centers the voices of those who are most marginalized. She brings this concern to Congress having seen firsthand how women and people of color continue to fight for racial and social justice in our country.
Congresswoman Williams was elected as the Freshman Class President for the 117th Congress. As President, she organizes and advances the interests of her Freshmen Democratic colleagues to fulfill their oath to work for the people. She currently sits on the Financial Services Committee, where she is Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Investigations & Oversight, and the Transportation and Infrastructure. Congresswoman Williams is also a member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. She has membership in several caucuses including the Congressional Black Caucus, Democratic Women’s Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Voting Rights Caucus, LBGTQ+ Equality Caucus and the HBCU Caucus.
Congresswoman Williams has a passion for a number of legislative issues including voting rights, reproductive justice, social justice, economic justice and healthcare—her work addresses delivering on the promise of America for all.
Congresswoman Williams has a history of advancing the issues that matter to Georgians and underserved people across the country, regardless of their bank account or ZIP code. Before her congressional service, Congresswoman Williams served in the Georgia State Senate. As a State Senator, Williams got in the “Good Trouble” Congressman Lewis spoke about. In the wake of the disastrous 2018 Georgia elections, marked with rampant voter suppression, she was arrested at the Georgia State Capitol while peacefully protesting with her constituents, demanding that every vote be counted.
Congresswoman Williams was born in Columbus, GA and raised by her grandparents in Smiths Station, Alabama. She attended Talladega College – a liberal arts Historically Black College (HBCU) in Talladega, Alabama – where she was initiated into Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Congresswoman Williams has been recognized as one of Georgia Trend magazine’s 100 Most Influential Georgians, Forty under Forty, Power 30 Under 30, Outstanding Atlanta, and Who’s Who in Black Atlanta. As State Senator, she received the Freshman Legislator of the Year award from the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus and the 2020 Pinnacle Leadership Award from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Recently, she was awarded the ACLU of Georgia’s Dare to Create – Liberty Award.
Congresswoman Williams and her husband, Leslie Small, reside in Atlanta with their son, Carter.
Offices
DC OFFICE
1406 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-3801
ATLANTA DISTRICT OFFICE
100 Peachtree Street Northwest
Suite 1920
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: (404) 659-0116
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Finances
Source: Open Secrets
Committees
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Subcommittee on Aviation
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Voting Record
Committees
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
- Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
- Subcommittee on Aviation
- Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Legislation
New Legislation
Issues
Source: Government page
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
Georgia’s 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district was represented by Democrat John Lewis from January 3, 1987, until his death on July 17, 2020. Kwanza Hall was elected to replace Lewis on December 1, 2020, and served until January 3, 2021, when Nikema Williams took his place. Hall was elected in a special election for the balance of Lewis’ 17th term. He chose not to run in the general election for a full two-year term, which was won by Williams.
The district’s boundaries were redrawn following the 2010 census, which granted an additional congressional seat to Georgia. The first election using the new district boundaries (listed below) were the 2012 congressional elections.
Based in central Fulton and parts of DeKalb and Clayton counties, the majority black district includes almost three-fourths of Atlanta, the state capital and largest city. It also includes some of the surrounding suburbs, including East Point, Druid Hills, and Forest Park. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+32, it is the most Democratic district in Georgia.
Wikipedia
Nikema Natassha Williams (born July 30, 1978) is an American politician and political executive serving as the representative for Georgia’s 5th congressional district and as Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.[1] The district includes almost three-quarters of Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Senate for the 39th district from 2017-2021. Williams served as one of 16 electors for Georgia in the Electoral College following the 2020 United States presidential election.
Early life and education
Williams was born in Columbus, Georgia, and raised in Smiths Station, Alabama.[2] Her father was a neighborhood leader, and her great-aunt Autherine Lucy integrated the University of Alabama.[3] Williams graduated from Talladega College, where she became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. After graduating from college, she moved to Atlanta in 2002.[2]
Early career
After moving to Atlanta, Williams joined the Young Democrats of Georgia.[3] She then served as vice president for public policy at Planned Parenthood Southeast.[4] In 2011, she was elected the first vice chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.[5] She served as the party’s interim chair in 2013, after Mike Berlon resigned.[2] In 2018, Williams became the State Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance.[6]
Williams supported Barack Obama‘s presidential campaigns and served as a member of the Obama Victory Fund in 2012.[7] She was recognized as one of Obama’s top bundlers during that campaign cycle, raising over $50,000 for the campaign.[8]
In 2017, Williams was elected to the Georgia State Senate, in a special election after Vincent Fort resigned to run in the Atlanta mayoral election. On November 13, 2018, Williams was one of 15 people arrested during a protest at the Georgia State Capitol against the handling of the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election.[2][9] The charges were dropped in June 2019.[10]
In January 2019, Williams was elected to once again lead the Georgia Democratic Party. She became the first Black woman, the third woman, and second African American to chair the party.[2] She was a delegate to the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions.
Williams was one of several Georgia General Assembly members to test positive for COVID-19 after being exposed by fellow member Brandon Beach.[11][12]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
On July 20, 2020, after the death of John Lewis, Williams was selected to replace him on the November ballot for Georgia’s 5th congressional district in the 2020 election.[13] The 5th is so heavily Democratic that Williams had been all but assured of a seat in Congress when she was selected to replace Lewis on the ballot.[14][15][16] Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called a September 2020 special election to fill the remainder of Lewis’s 17th term. Williams opted to not run in the general election, choosing instead to focus on her role as party chair.[17] The special election was won by Atlanta city councilman Kwanza Hall, who served for a month before handing the seat to Williams. In the general election, she handily defeated Republican Angela Stanton-King by a 70-point margin.
2022
Williams held her seat in the 2022 elections against Republican Christian Zimm, by a smaller but no less overwhelming 65-point margin.
Tenure
Williams was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[18]
Williams was one of two Democrats along with Bobby Scott to vote against the expulsion of former New York representative George Santos.[19]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[20]
Caucus memberships
Personal life
Williams’s husband, Leslie Small, was a former aide to John Lewis.[23] They met while campaigning for Democrats during the 2008 elections.[2] They have one son.[3] She is a former member of UFCW.[citation needed]
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
References
- ^ Hargett-Robinson, Adisa (November 6, 2020). “Nikema Williams wins John Lewis’ congressional seat”. ABC News.
- ^ a b c d e f Prabhu, Maya (January 28, 2019). “Meet Nikema Williams, the newly elected leader of Georgia’s Democrats”. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ a b c Edwards, Breanna (December 6, 2019). “Georgia State Sen. Nikema Williams On Continuing The Legacy Of The Civil Rights Movement”. Essence. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ “NIKEMA WILLIAMS”. GeorgiaDemocrat.org. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
- ^ “Georgia Democrats elect new leaders”. Ledger-Enquirer. Columbus, Georgia. Associated Press. January 30, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ “LinkedIn: Nikema Williams”. February 3, 2022.
- ^ “Nikema Williams”. Democrats. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ “10 Stars That Have Supported Obama Financially”. HuffPost. September 6, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ Butler, Kiera (November 17, 2018). “Senator, Why Are You Being Arrested?”. Mother Jones. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ Prabhu, Maya T. (June 10, 2019). “Cases dismissed against Ga. senator, protesters arrested at Capitol”. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ^ Staff, WSBTV com News (March 23, 2020). “4th Georgia state senator tests positive for coronavirus”. WSBTV.
- ^ “UPDATE: Atlanta Senator Tests Positive for Coronavirus”. THE PEOPLE’S STATION V103. March 21, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Bluestein, Greg (July 20, 2020). “Democrats tap Nikema Williams to replace John Lewis on November ballot”. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ “Georgia Election Results: Fifth Congressional District”. The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ “Atlanta lowering flags indefinitely to honor Rep. John Lewis”. KSTP. July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- ^ Panetta, Grace. “Nikema Williams is selected as the Democratic nominee to replace Rep. John Lewis on the ballot for November”. Business Insider. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- ^ “Special election to fill the late John Lewis’ seat on Capitol Hill is today”. 11Alive.com. July 31, 2020.
- ^ Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023). “Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no”. The Hill. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ Schnell, Mychael (December 1, 2023). “House expels George Santos in historic vote”. The Hill. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ “Nikema Williams”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ “Caucus Members”. US House of Representatives. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ “New Democrat Coalition Celebrates Addition of New Members Reps. Shontel Brown and Nikema Williams”. newdemocratcoalition.house.gov. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
- ^ Bluestein, Greg (July 19, 2020). “As they mourn John Lewis, Ga. Democrats must quickly choose a successor”. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
External links
- Representative Nikema Williams official U.S. House website
- Campaign website Archived November 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
- Biography from the Democratic Party of Georgia
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN
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