Georgia Democratic activists backed a rule change Saturday to make the party chair a paid full-time position, setting the stage for U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams to step down from her role as the Democratic Party of Georgia’s chair amid backlash over her leadership.
The party’s State Committee overwhelmingly approved the overhaul after criticism of her tenure escalated after Donald Trump’s November victory in Georgia, part of a sweep of battleground states that left Democrats demoralized and party leaders struggling for an explanation.
Williams, first elected to the unpaid, volunteer role in 2019, endorsed the rules change in November, saying it would ensure that “independently wealthy folks” aren’t the only ones who can fill the role.
The typically internal fight over her leadership became a public battle as prominent officials traded open letters vouching for Williams or urging that she step down before her second four-year term ends in 2027.
It surfaced in the hours after the election, when a dozen or so Democratic leaders told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Williams should step aside. Some panned the party’s strategy or accused Williams of wasting resources.
Others praised her long record in the volunteer position but said the job demands a full-time staffer who wasn’t limited from raising federal funds for the party, as Williams is because she serves in the U.S. House.
The pushback grew as word trickled out that U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who’s up for reelection in 2026, called Williams and pressed her to stand down. Williams relayed to friends that Ossoff told her he lacked confidence in her leadership.
“I hope this doesn’t have to become public, but this is something I’m absolutely planning to pursue,” Williams claimed Ossoff told her in a phone conversation, according to a text message she sent to her supporters that was obtained by the AJC.
Ossoff, who attended the Saturday meeting, has declined comment about their exchange. His allies didn’t dispute her broader characterization of the conversation.
Williams, meanwhile, mounted a campaign for a Democratic National Committee post earlier this year. She withdrew her bid for a vice chair post in February after she trailed in several rounds of voting.
Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Williams was elected the first Black woman to lead the state party in January 2019 after pledging to target voters often ignored by politicians, keep up an embrace of liberal policies and continue deploying sharp-edged tactics to battle the GOP.
After U.S. Rep. John Lewis died in 2020, Williams won the overwhelming support of party insiders to serve as his replacement on the ballot in a hurried procedural vote that was forced by a pressing legal deadline.
When she easily won the deep-blue district in 2020, Williams maintained her dual role as U.S. House member and party chairwoman with the blessing of Ossoff and other officials. She breezed to another four-year term as party leader in 2023.
But after Trump’s win, a range of party figures demanded a leadership change – including Ossoff, who is one of the top GOP targets in the 2026 midterm.
Some of the pushback accuses Williams and her leadership team of mismanaging resources. Others say her role in Congress limits her ability to raise party funds because of federal restrictions.
Several party leaders have defended her. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson acknowledged frustration over Trump’s win but praised Williams’ “steady leadership,” noting Georgia Democrats outperformed other battleground states.
Williams, for her part, has pointed to the party’s statewide wins in 2020, 2021 and 2022 even as she acknowledged Democrats needed a “course correction” after Trump improved his level of support in more than 130 of Georgia’s 159 counties.
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