Nikema Williams

Nikema was the first Black woman Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia and worked at Planned Parenthood before running for office. She won the late John Lewis’s seat and, in keeping with his mission, has been a prominent voice for voting rights and targeting voter suppression tactics.

Nikema is always looking out for her constituents. Due to extreme weather conditions, she believes energy costs will nearly double this winter. She helped secure ~$135 million for Georgia through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the American Rescue Plan and annual appropriations to help her constituents lower their utility costs or energy repairs. That is a big win for her constituents, but the next step will be making sure her constituents KNOW ABOUT IT.

Nikema had her mind on voting rights this year. Nikema had some harsh words for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp after he released a statement refuting Democrat claims that the restrictive Georgia voting laws are akin to those from the Jim Crow era. As a result, she doubled down on efforts to pass H.R. 1, the Voting Rights Act. Nikema introduced the Stay In Line To Vote Act, which targets voter suppression tactics by allowing food and drink to be provided to voters while standing in line. She also introduced the Move Registration Act, which would make it easier to register to vote as we change residences. She cosponsored the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that would reinstate federal oversight of states with a history of voting rights violations, which was lost after a 2013 Supreme Court decision.

Republican members of the Georgia state legislature announced the creation of the Georgia State Freedom Caucus which would serve as a model for other states to follow suit under the umbrella of the U.S. House Freedom Caucus – the influential far right group that promotes conservative values and limited government. Nikema, who is chair of the George Democratic Party sees the move as a win for Democrats saying “While the GOP spends the next year engaged in a nasty and divisive internal battle, Democrats are united and laser focused on delivering on the issues that actually affect the lives of everyday Georgians.” That may be true, but are they also ready to combat the organized messaging these various Freedom Caucuses are surely going to leverage against Democrats?

Okay, maybe not always, like around the time they hand you a Christmas wish list longer than a CVS receipt. But in the case of parents in Nikema’s fifth district, this thanksgiving holiday was met with a few extra Benjamins, following proof-of-toddler. Thanks to Nikema’s hard work in advocating for the American Rescue Plan back in March, folks in her district saw a total of $32.4 million in tax credits put back in their pockets! Nikema announced that roughly 77,000 tax credits were sent out, covering nearly 125,000 children. Nationwide, the Treasury has disbursed roughly $16 billion for more than 61 million children. Hopefully all that extra gravy didn’t go to waste on black Friday and cyber Monday!