Georgia Democrats unveil 5 finalists to replace John Lewis' name on November ballot

As state law dictates, Georgia Democrats on Monday unveiled a list of five finalists to replace the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) on the November ballot and — because the district is so safely Democratic — likely fill his seat in the House.

The names include Georgia State Rep. Park Cannon, Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens, the former president of Morehouse College, Robert Franklin, State Sen. Nikema Williams, and Rev. James "Major" Woodall, the president of the Georgia NAACP. The candidates were vetted and selected out of a pool of 131 applicants by a seven-member panel that included former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, among others. The next step will be for the Democratic Party of Georgia Executive Committee to meet virtually, hear from the candidates, and select a nominee.

Not everyone is satisfied with the process though, with some suggesting Lewis wouldn't want his replacement decided by state party officials, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Tharon Johnson said the civil rights icon advocated fiercely for voting rights and would want his successor to "be chosen and elected by" voters. Michael Collins, Lewis' former top aide, joined the chorus, urging Democratic officials in a letter Monday to consider "the will of the people."

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People pushing for that strategy would like to see a placeholder representative who agrees to serve a sole two-year term or another candidate who is willing to resign in January, clearing a path for a special election. But it looks like the Democratic Party will go through with the original plan. "Whomever wants to run against the pick can," said State Sen. Jen Jordan. "Two years is nothing. Whomever it is will face multiple challengers in 2022." Read more at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.