Politics
Politics

State sets November special election for open Georgia Senate seat

Hopefuls can begin filing intent to run Wednesday
State Sen. Nikema Williams, is leaving office to run for the congressional seat that was vacated when U.S. Rep. John Lewis died in July. (Alyssa Pointer / alyssa.pointer@ajc.com)
State Sen. Nikema Williams, is leaving office to run for the congressional seat that was vacated when U.S. Rep. John Lewis died in July. (Alyssa Pointer / alyssa.pointer@ajc.com)
By
Sept 1, 2020

Residents in a Fulton County state Senate district will select their new senator in November, the Georgia secretary of state’s office announced Tuesday.

Democratic hopefuls vying to replace state Sen. Nikema Williams, who is no longer running for re-election, can file their paperwork to run Wednesday through Friday. The election will be held Nov. 3, the same day as the general election. A runoff election, if necessary, would be held Dec. 1.

Williams withdrew her candidacy for re-election after state Democrats selected her to run for the congressional seat that was vacated when U.S. Rep. John Lewis died in July.

Williams won her primary election in June and no Republicans filed to run for the seat earlier this year, so only Democrats can vie for the Fulton County Senate seat, state officials said.

Prospective candidates seeking to run for the seat can go to the Democratic Party of Georgia’s office at 501 Pulliam St. SW, Suite 311, in Atlanta. Paperwork will be accepted 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday. Interested candidates must also pay $400 to file.

About the Author

Maya T. Prabhu is a government reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in northern Virginia, Maya attended Spelman College and then the University of Maryland for a master's degree. She writes about social issues, the criminal justice system and legislative politics.

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