The Hill’s Campaign Report: Georgia Democrats nominate state party chair for John Lewis’s seat

by Max Greenwood and Julia Manchester - 07/20/20 5:01 PM ET

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We’re Julia Manchester, Max Greenwood and Jonathan Easley. Here’s what we’re watching today on the campaign trail.

LEADING THE DAY:

Georgia Democratic Party chair Nikema Williams, also a state senator, will replace the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) on the ballot in November.

The state Democratic Party’s executive committee tapped Williams, a longtime activist and the first Black woman to chair the party, for the nomination on Monday. She was one of five finalists considered for the roll, along with state Rep. Park Cannon, Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dicks, former Morehouse College President Robert Franklin and Georgia NAACP President James “Major” Woodall.

Lewis, a giant in the Civil Rights Movement who had represented Georgia’s 5th congressional district for more than 30 years, died on Friday at the age of 80. He announced in December that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

While members of the Georgia Democratic Party’s executive committee made it clear on Monday that they were still mourning Lewis’s death, state rules put them on a tight deadline to choose his replacement. They had until 4:30 p.m. to name a new nominee.

With the nomination decided, Williams is almost certain to win Lewis’s old seat in November. Georgia’s 5th District has been represented by Democrats for decades and Lewis drew only token Republican opposition throughout his tenure. In 2018, he didn’t face a Republican challenger at all.

This year, Republicans have put up Angela Stanton-King for the seat. Stanton-King, a reality TV star and author, is considered a long-shot to replace Lewis in the House. Williams, meanwhile, sought to cast herself on Monday as an acolyte of the Civil Rights icon, calling Lewis “a personal hero, friend and political mentor.”

“Nobody could possibly fill the shoes of Congressman Lewis,” Williams said during a video conference with the executive committee on Monday. “His leadership and fighting spirit is needed now more than ever in this country.”

“We need someone who is not afraid to put themselves on the line for their constituents in the way that Congressman Lewis taught us to.”

Whichever candidate wins the November election will become the first woman to represent Georgia’s 5th District in nearly 75 years and the first Black woman to do so.

–Max Greenwood

Civil Rights legend John Lewis dies, by The Hill’s Cristina Marcos.

Georgia Democrats tap state party chair to replace John Lewis on November ballot, by Max.

House holds moment of silence for John Lewis, by The Hill’s Juliegrace Brufke.

FROM THE TRAIL:

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is expected to speak on behalf of former Vice President Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention next month. It’s unclear if Kasich will explicitly endorse the presumptive Democratic nominee, but his anticipated remarks amount to a major show of support for Biden from a lifelong Republican who rose to political prominence amid the Tea Party movement a decade ago. More from The Associated Press (AP).

Emgage Action, the largest Muslim political group in the country which endorsed Sanders in the 2020 Democratic primary, called on voters to support Biden’s campaign against President Trump in a letter, according to a report from the AP on Monday. The letter also featured other endorsements from prominent American Muslims, including Rep. Ilhan Omar. The Hill’s John Bowden reports.

MONEY WATCH:

Democrats raised more than $700 million through the party’s online fundraising clearinghouse ActBlue in the second quarter of 2020, making it the highest single-quarter total raised on the platform since its inception in 2004. The Hill’s John Bowden reports.

The Senate Republican campaign arm posted a record-breaking second-quarter haul of $35.6 million, besting its Democratic counterpart in the period spanning April 1 through June 30. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised $14 million in June alone, and will report $30.5 million in cash on hand when it files its fundraising report on Monday. The Hill’s Al Weaver has the story.

CONGRESS AND THE STATES:

The Texas GOP has chosen former Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) as its new chair, ousting current party leader James Dickey in early-morning voting on Monday. West, who served in Congress from 2011 until 2013, has a history of making controversial and often inflammatory remarks. His win on Monday means he will lead the largest state GOP in the country into one of its most difficult election seasons in recent history. Max reports.

POLL WATCH:

FOX NEWS – PRESIDENTIAL

Biden: 49%

Trump: 41%

ABC NEWS/WASHINGTON POST – PRESIDENTIAL

Biden: 54%

Trump: 44%

GRAVIS – SOUTH CAROLINA PRESIDENTIAL

Trump: 50%

Biden: 46%

PERSPECTIVES:

Terri Lee Freeman: “John Lewis’s message: The power of voices and of voting.”