The process is being overseen by a committee that includes some of the state’s most prominent Democrats, including Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Atlanta mayor who catapulted to national prominence in recent months after her response to unrest in the city and clashes with Gov. Brian Kemp over coronavirus precautions, and Stacey Abrams, who narrowly lost the race for governor in 2018 to Mr. Kemp. Still, some in the party, including Tharon Johnson, a longtime aide to Mr. Lewis, are calling for the committee to nominate a place holder who would resign the seat upon being sworn in, giving way to a special election in 2021. After putting out a call for applicants on Saturday, 131 people wrote the Democratic Party of Georgia to say that they wanted to represent the district, which covers parts of Atlanta and seeps into suburban DeKalb and Clayton counties. The candidate will face what is regarded as a long shot bid from the Republican nominee, Angela Stanton-King, a reality-television personality who was pardoned by President Trump in February of her conviction for her role in a stolen-vehicle ring.

Source: New York Times July 20, 2020 15:07 UTC