In June Lewis, who ran uncontested for his 17th term in 2018, He won the Democratic nomination for his seat by a resounding 87% of the vote over challenger Barrington Martin II.
But his death leaves the Georgia Democratic Party with the task of naming a nominee. Take on Republican Angela Stanton-King, an advocate of criminal justice reform and a former reality star, in the general election for this overwhelmingly Democratic seat.
Under Georgia law, the Democratic Party’s state executive committee can name a replacement candidate, according to Georgia’s undersecretary of state, Jordan Fuchs.
The party will have to inform Georgia’s secretary of state’s office if it intends to name a replacement by Monday, and then inform the office who its replacement candidate is shortly thereafter, Fuchs told CNN in a statement.
The Georgia Democratic Party confirmed on Saturday that its executive committee will meet Monday at noon to consider a candidate.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Congressman John Lewis, and we very much wish that we were not in this position today. The Georgia Democratic Party takes seriously our legal responsibility to appoint a candidate for this position, and we are doing our utmost to honor the legacy of Congressman Lewis and the people of the Fifth District throughout this process, while working within the applicable legal framework, “said Sachin Varghese, attorney for the party, in a press release on Saturday night.
Candidates interested in being Democratic nominees will have until Sunday night to run.
A nominating committee made up of leaders of the 5th Congressional District and state Democrats, including Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the former Georgia state chamber Minority Leader Stacey Abrams will cut applicants to three to five people to recommend to the party’s executive committee.
It is up to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, to issue an order for a special election to fill the seat for the rest of Lewis’s term. The special election would have to be held at least 30 days after its announcement.
CNN has reached out to Kemp’s office for comment.
Fuchs said he would recommend that Kemp’s office set up special elections for the same day as the November general election, on November 3, when 5th District voters would also vote someone to fill the seat for the next two-year term. .
“I don’t think it’s wise to try to squeeze out another choice between the second primary round (August 11) and the general, “said Fuchs.” Whoever wins that election will occupy the rest of the current period, which will be a very short time. “
The current term ends in January 2021.
All party candidates would compete on the same ballot in the special general election, and if no one receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a second round in January.
Fuchs said a special choice the second round may “end up being void because it will not be held until January”, which would be the same month that the new Congress is called.
However, until the time of the special election, the position will remain vacant, Charles Bullock, a professor of political science at the University of Georgia, told CNN.
Staff will remain on-site to assist constituents, but no one can vote in their place, Bullock said.
On Friday, Kemp paid tribute to Lewis and said the Georgia native “changed our world in profound and immeasurable ways.”
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