Some Georgia Democrats call for new leadership in state party

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Calls for new leadership at the helm of the Democratic Party of Georgia grew Monday with calls for the resignation of current party chairwoman Rep. Nikema Williams.

Williams, who is also the U.S. Representative for Georgia’s 5th District, has been leading the Georgia Democrats since 2019. But 22 signees of a letter, most of them Democratic candidates who lost their races for the state House, expressed dissatisfaction for what they say was Williams’ inability to commit to the role full time, especially amid her own re-election bid.

“Simply put, members of Congress shouldn’t be leading state parties of battleground states, especially if they spend more time campaigning in their solid blue district than leading the party in every region of our state,” the letter states. “The reality is that being in the U.S. House of Representatives is a full-time job, requiring the member of Congress to spend countless hours in their district in Washington. There is simply no time to lead a battleground state party.”

Last week, Georgia Democrats suffered widespread losses in races for the state legislature and failed to see a repeat of their 2020 success on the presidential ticket. The party pointed out that Vice President Kamala Harris collected 70,000 more votes this year than President Joe Biden did on his way to winning Georgia in 2020.

“While we’re all disappointed and still processing last week’s election results, Georgia Democrats made a strong showing in the face of a national red wave that saw Donald Trump sweep every battleground state,” said Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, executive director of the DPG in response to the letter. “We increased Kamala Harris’s vote total in Georgia over President Biden’s in 2020 by more than 70,000 votes — more than all other battleground states combined — and cemented the Peach State’s status as a battleground state heading into the next election cycle.”

The Young Georgia Democrats, a group Williams was once a member of, also called for her resignation on Monday. Similar to the candidate’s complaints, they blamed poor fundraising on Williams and party leadership.

“Our state party chair is legally limited in her ability to fundraise for the party, because she is a Congresswoman,” read that memo. “While we appreciate and respect her service, these two roles are not compatible.”

Tuesday’s election became a point of reflection for Democrats, some who told Atlanta News First the night was a “wakeup call” for the party in Georgia and nationwide.

During his regular Sunday sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock expressed “deep disappointment” in the tough night for his party and the re-election of President-elect Donald Trump.

“I didn’t come this morning to sugarcoat it, this is hard, this hurts,” he said from the pulpit. “We find ourselves asking ourselves, how could we be here again? Makes me want to holler. Throw up both my hands. Huge segments of the American population, I believe who are so shaken by their own fears, that they’ve decided to have yet another dance with the ugliest parts of our complicated American story. Makes me want to holler.”

But Warnock also reminded congregants that Democrats should keep their eyes on the upcoming 2026 election, which features a race for Georgia governor and a U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Sen. Jon Ossoff on the ballot.

“We’re getting ready,” Warnock said. “Because this won’t be the first time we have to save America.”