Atlanta

State Democratic party chair Rep. Nikema Williams facing calls to resign after Trump win

By Karyn Greer
By Karyn Greer

ATLANTA — The head of the Democratic Party of Georgia is facing criticism, backlash, and even calls for her to resign after former President Donald Trump won reelection last week.

Channel 2′s Karyn Greer spoke to party leaders on Tuesday who say the Democratic Party of Georgia under her leadership failed to turn out voters in every part of the state.

Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris gained about 70,000 more votes than President Joe Biden did four years ago in Georgia.

But now President-elect Trump had 200,000 more ballots in the 2024 election.

The majority of Georgia counties favored the GOP -- 132 for Trump and 27 for Harris.

Members of Georgia’s Democratic party are pointing fingers at Chairwoman U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams for failure to get out the vote.

“When you look at failures, you have to look at your leadership. Why did it happen? You know, and we feel that we need a change in the leadership, and it starts at the top,” said Fayette County Democratic Chair Joe Clark.

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Clark is one of many voices coming out against Williams. She was elected to chair the party in 2019 and was reelected in 2023.

“I mean, since she’s been the chair, she’s been a Congresswoman. And she’s had to run. This would be her third race that she’s had to run. I think she does a good job in Congress, and I think that’s exactly where she needs to be,” Clark said.

Greer reached out to Williams to get her comments on this story. Her communications director sent a statement from the DPG executive director, saying:

“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. 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.”

“We didn’t do anything in South Georgia. Nothing. South Georgia. It’s rural, I know. And there are not as many voters, but they count, too. And I just don’t think the leadership has looked beyond the metro Atlanta area because that’s where they’re comfortable,” Clark said.

Greer also received a letter from former Cobb Democratic Party Chair and former state Rep. Erick Allen who supports Williams, who said: “Let’s have a constructive discussion about needed changes moving forward—but let’s not misplace blame and scapegoating on Georgians or on chair Nikema Williams.”

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