Former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill, who served time in federal prison after he was convicted of violating the civil rights of inmates at the county jail, said Tuesday he would challenge U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams in a Democratic primary.
Hill announced his campaign on a YouTube livestream on Tuesday, saying he was urged to run by his fellow inmates at Forrest City Federal Correctional Institution in Arkansas, who said they wanted him to be a “voice” for them.
Hill said he had been prosecuted by Democrats but would still run as a member of the party, likening it to sticking with a wayward family member.
“I’m going to remain in the party, and let’s see if we can bring some strength to the party and some common sense,” he said.
Hill was convicted in 2022 of violating the civil rights of detainees at the Clayton County Jail. He served about 10 months in a federal prison before being released in the spring of 2024. He is still facing civil lawsuits related to the same allegations.
Williams recently stepped down as chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia after facing pressure from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and others who believed that as sitting member of Congress she wasn’t able to devote enough time to raising money for the party.
She was elected in November 2020 to fill the seat left vacant by the death of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who was in his 17th term. The district covers a broad swath of Atlanta and is heavily Democratic.
Asked to respond to Hill’s announcement, Williams stressed her work in Washington.
“It’s after midnight, I just left the House Financial Services Committee doing exactly what I’ve done since I was elected, fighting for the people!” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Hill was sheriff of Clayton between 2005 and 2008 and again from 2012 until 2021, when he was suspended by Gov. Brian Kemp pending the outcome of the federal indictment.
The U.S. Constitution does not bar people convicted in federal court from running for Congress, but Hill’s candidacy is set to bring renewed scrutiny to his conviction.
A federal jury convicted Hill in October 2022 of violating the civil rights of six detainees by strapping them into restraint chairs for four hours and longer as a form of punishment. The chairs are legally intended only for situations when an inmate poses an immediate threat to themselves or others.
Hill has defended his actions, claiming the use of the restraints was justified by the alleged offenses the detainees had committed — including assaulting two women at a grocery store and pointing a gun at men in a car.
Credit: BEN GRAY / AJC
Credit: BEN GRAY / AJC
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