Are The Georgia Dems Beefing?
A not-so subtle intra-party letter has gone viral
Welcome to my newsletter, King Williams. I am a documentary filmmaker, journalist, podcast host, and author in Atlanta, Georgia. This newsletter covers Atlanta's hidden connections to everything else.
A Private Georgia Democratic Letter Goes Viral
Following Kamala Harris's shocking national loss and a relatively underperforming series of statewide races, a private letter to current US Congresswoman and Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Nikema Williams has gone viral. The letter, which several metro Atlanta and rural Georgia Democrats signed, was a direct call for Williams to step down after the disappointing election results. The letter comes as the Georgia Democrats face their second consecutive disappointing election, being nearly swept in all but one race, the US Senate, in 2022.
The Letter
The letter was initially leaked to AJC political journalist Greg Bluestein and local DeKalb-centric outlet Decaturish (Williams’s district includes most of Fulton and most of SW DeKalb). In addition to the letter, a series of text messages from an anonymous source who spoke with Congresswoman Williams were also leaked.
The letter to Williams charges that since taking the position of US Congresswoman in 2021, she has been too preoccupied with her duties in Washington and not as much as the Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. The letter highlighted a perceived lack of support for rural and non-metro Atlanta Democrats. Since the election results of two weeks ago, Democrats seem to be in disarray with Georgia’s leadership, initially questioning itself privately and now publicly. Including one of Georgia’s highest-ranking party members, current US Senator Jon Ossoff is rumored to be one of the voices against Williams.
Is Jon Ossoff trying to push out Nikema Williams?
Jon Ossoff is one of Georgia’s two US Democratic Senators. Ossoff came to his seat in a tight race in 2020 against incumbent David Perdue. Ossoff, since that election, has made his bet on doubling down on serving on committees in Washington, getting money for Atlanta infrastructure projects, and being a mainstay in local Democratic events. Ossoff’s win is arguably one of the hallmarks of Williams’s tenure, bringing Georgia a millennial US Senator and fulfilling the equity built up by Ossoff over the three years since his defeat for a US House seat by Karen Handel.
The texts allege current US Senator Jon Ossoff has urged Williams to step down behind the scenes. Ossoff has a very contentious 2026 race against likely former Governor Brian Kemp, which could have similar results to last week’s or 2022’s re-election.
At the same time, Georgia’s other US Senator, Rev. Raphael Warnock, has brushed off the question. Warnock and Ossoff’s joint 2020 race was the winning ticket for both getting elected, while Williams and Warnock have a more extended political history. While US Congressman Hank Johnson, an Ossoff supporter, has made his line in the sand supporting him. Ossoff, the DNC, and maybe the US can’t afford a national Republican hold on the US Senate. A 60+ filibuster-proof majority in 2026 could lead to a vengeful second-term Trump administration that can do gnarly things to Democrats and detractors. Ossoff needs to retain that seat.
The Heat Is On Williams
Some Democratic leaders have been vocal about their displeasure with Williams’s leadership, including Fayette County Democratic Chair Joe Clark, who was quoted in a recent WSB story. Williams was first elected Democratic Party Chair in 2019, won a special election for John Lewis’s seat in 2020, then started serving double duty in 2021, and was re-elected in 2023.
The Young Democrats of Georgia stated on Instagram that they were calling for Williams to step down. Georgia Federation of Democratic Women is also in support of Williams stepping down. Williams received support from former state Rep Erick Allen, the current Cobb Democratic Party Chair. As well as newly minted House Minority Leader Carolyn Hughley coming out in support of Williams. Meanwhile, fellow US Democratic Congressman David Scott has tipped his hand to support a regime change. Concurrently, US Senator and long-time Williams collaborator Rev. Raphael Warnock distanced himself from the issue.
No one is currently named as the leaker. However, the leak posits that what was once a lingering rumor behind closed doors is now public. And it could not come at a worse time for the Georgia Democrats.
2. The Cases For and Against Nikema Williams
Whether Williams stays or a new leader is chosen, the next 18 months will focus on rebuilding a cohesive statewide political ecosystem. This is followed by another 6-month cycle of elections that could lead to another Democratic burnout unless something new happens.
Is Removing Nikema Williams the right idea?
Yes and no. Yes, having an immediate scapegoat in Williams for this year's lack of success is a reactionary move. But it may not be entirely wrong. Williams’s internal party detractors can blame her for all of the party's problems and then wipe the slate clean.
No, because Williams, despite her intra-party beef, is a very popular politician, she has national connections, and there is no clear successor. Since becoming party chair in 2019, Williams’s tenure has seen Georgia go from being a lost cause to a swing state. Williams can still point to 2020 as one of the few bright spots for Democrats in the Deep South, which is still going more red than blue overall.
While supporters of Williams look to 2020’s wins and a ~70,000-vote increase in 2024 for the Democratic presidential nominee compared to 2020, the opposition can look to Trump's roughly ~150,000-vote increase, translating to a smooth 120,000-vote victory.
Georgia was also unique in that its swing to the right was only two points compared to much larger swings in states nationwide. Supporters and detractors could look to that swing as something that could’ve been reached had the Dems just pulled out a slightly better turnout. The Dems also picked up two House seats, giving them 80 out of 180 overall. It's better than the 75 they were at just four years ago. Meanwhile, their future stars, such as Michelle Au, Sam Park, and Nabilah Islam-Parkes, won re-election.
3. Was 2014-18 A Mirage?
The optimism and growth of the Georgia Democratic Party from 2014-18 may have been a mirage. Stacey Abrams's 2018 haze continues to affect the national reputation of the state’s party. Abrams is still beloved by everyday people and steadfast Democratic voters. However, the future will require a post-Abrams vision that learns from her successes and failures.
Democrats in Georgia briefly developed an emerging political ecosystem boosted partly by the role of the two Stacey Abrams-created political non-profits, Fair Fight and the New Georgia Project. But now, in 2024, both organizations may be on their last legs, and nothing has been able to replace it. The talent those organizations attracted mostly floated in the political ether or left politics altogether.
In the future, the Georgia Democrats must find a better way to win and understand how to maintain enthusiasm after the election. Since 2018, they have been shut out in two consecutive statewide elections and have again lost the presidency. Putting this all on Nikema Williams may be unfair, but it’s the most available option. Whether or not Williams stays or steps down as chair, many issues with the Democratic Party of Georgia (DPG) will require major overhauls.
4. The Democratic Party isn’t just Atlanta
The letter sent to Congresswoman Williams reflected another reality that the Democrats have forgotten since 2018’s surprisingly close first gubernatorial run from Stacey Abrams—rural Georgia is not just flyover country, and it could be as big or bigger for Democrats as it has been for Republicans.
2018 was the closest Georgia has been to a Democrat for governor in nearly twenty years. In the years leading up to that race, years of collective efforts in building relationships with local groups, voter registration, outreach events, and data collection worked. Rural Georgia, the Black Belt, and some of Georgia’s most prominent cities came out for Abrams, who would ultimately be short by ~55,000 votes.
However, since the 2018 election, these locales have mostly been disinvested, resulting in only late-quarter voter engagement rallies and text donations. The focus has been on getting a bigger turnout in metro Atlanta. The strategy worked in 2020/21 for the top of the ticket, leaving the bottom candidates disadvantaged.
Rural Democrats need a lot. That includes campaign funding, a more consistent voter engagement strategy, retention strategies, recruitment, and a hyper-local awareness strategy, alongside partnerships with Democrat-leaning 501 (c)(3) and (c)(4) nonprofits like the Republicans. It also includes a coherent media strategy with a supporting media ecosystem for those inside and outside Atlanta.
Is Metro Atlanta tapped out?
The Democrats have been overreliant on metro Atlanta in the last three successive cycles—2020, 2022, and 2024—with only the upper-level, national trifecta (Biden-Ossoff-Warnock) winning big in 2020/21. That win was partly because of a once-in-a-generation set of circumstances and metro Atlanta acting as its defense against Trumpism, not Georgia Republicans.
The strategy makes sense. Metro Atlanta and Georgia’s most populous cities are majority Democratic. But that hasn’t been enough to circumvent the Republicans' small-town, rural engagement strategy. Republicans have been able to counter this large voting bloc of Democrats in metro Atlanta and the Black Belt with a continual overperformance of small towns and rural Georgia continuing to come out every election. This resulted in a statewide sweep for Republicans in 2018, 2022, and now 2024, with a likely chance of repeating in 2026.
If metro Atlanta seems tapped out, it's likely because many organizations that pushed Biden to win, like the New Georgia Project, are a shell of their former selves just four years later. Most key staff have left, taking the data, analysis, employees, and, most importantly, partnerships. Additionally, the activists who helped push Abrams in 2018 and Biden in 2020 are mostly not in Atlanta, not working in politics or not working with the Democrats.
5. The GA Dems don’t have the supportive infrastructure or political ecosystems to win.
Georgia Democrats once again will have to figure out how to develop a cohesive non-election cycle-dependent ecosystem. One that’s fully funded and allows for people from non-traditional/insider backgrounds to find a way within the party. Despite raining millions every cycle, most funding is spent on GOTV, media, and events, leaving local orgs dry outside election season.
This is problematic since so much of the Democratic base is volunteer-dependent, with no way to retain people after election cycles, causing a retread of manpower each cycle. The future of the Georgia Democratic Party will have to have a more substantial base of supportive organizations, a consistent flow of funds, and an allowance for those who show aptitude to be retained in the currently non-existent liberal political ecosystem.
Who’s on the bench?
Currently, the question of who’s next in line for all the positions is significant. The Democrats face a question of who’s in the leadership pipeline to maintain currently held statewide seats in addition to who’s being groomed for leadership within the party. Unlike their Republican counterparts, the Democrats face turnover after each and every election. And when there is consistency is often held for too long, resulting in a leadership vacuum that’s arguably a generation behind.
Who’s replacing the current US Dem Congress Seats?
The Democrats have another issue: succession. The Georgia Democrats haven’t successfully planned for its successors, developed a leadership pipeline, forged key partnerships, or planted younger people in positions for long-term success like the Republicans have.
The leadership of elected Democrats is old. Except for John Ossoff, 37, a millennial, and Nikema Williams, 46, a younger GenXer, most of the leadership at the county, city, and key statewide positions are from people older than both. The five Democrats in the US Congress are all older than 50 and, in some cases, 70. Georgia’s other US Senator, Warnock, is also in his 50s—similar ages for several Democratic county commissioners and officers.
6. The Georgia Dems Clock Starts Now
The Democrats are on the clock for 2026 and 2028. In 2026, The Democrats will try to figure out how to retain their US Senate seat for another six years, with Jon Ossoff facing a likely challenger in outgoing governor Brian Kemp.
At the same time, they try to figure out a way to win at least half of the statewide seats, which are all Republican. The most important being the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. In addition to the District 3 and 5 Public Service Commissioner races and two state Supreme Court races that year.
A Must Win 2026 and 2028
The Democrats have to win not one but two elections, 2026 and 2028, although for different reasons. 2026 is focused on retaining its first US Senate seat with Jon Ossoff and mounting some real challenges to the upper chambers of state politics. 2028 is a must-win for retaining Raphael Warnock’s seat and maybe swinging Georgia back blue against a likely mighty national Republican Party.
The Democrats need a strategy for escaping the House and Senate minority, and a Democrat should lead at least one.
To have a fighting chance in redistricting in 2030, the Democrats must maintain their current 80 House seats and flip at least ten more by 2028. They would also need to keep their 23 state Senate seats and find at least five more to even the odds in representation.
Ossoff vs Kemp for US Senate
One of the least-kept secrets has been the 2026 race for the US Senate between outgoing governor Brian Kemp and incumbent Jon Ossoff. Kemp is well-liked, has high approval ratings, several key partnerships with national conservative organizations, a national traditional media, and an international digital ecosystem waiting for his election against Ossoff in 2026. He likely has a heavy-handed Republican majority in the House, Senate, Supreme Court, and FCC, giving him advantages no one else will have in 2026. Ossoff will be on his backfoot the entire time and will likely require a large amount of resources that he will have to have with or without the party’s help.
Wh'o’s Running Against Kelly Loeffler for Governor?
Former US Senator Kelly Loeffler (a Kemp appointee) is likely the next candidate for the Governor of Georgia. While the rumors of Congresswoman Lucy McBath linger, the possibility of outgoing DeKalb CEO Mike Thurmond has also floated in some circles. With that, the conversation also lingers on whether or not a third attempt from Stacey Abrams could be ruled out if either two don’t decide to run and no viable candidate emerges. If Loeffler is the candidate in 2026, do the Dems have anyone who could win?
7. Lucy McBath for Governor?
Lucy McBath is an interesting choice. In 2026, McBath may be the Democrats' best shot at winning anything. Ossoff faces an uphill climb against Kemp, while the entire executive branch of the state, two Public Service Commissioners, and two Supreme Court seats are all heavily GOP-favored.
McBath’s rise from family tragedy has been one of Georgia's most underrated political stories over the last decade. Motivated by the murder of her son, Jordan, in 2012 and the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting, McBath pulled off the upset of 2018. Her upset victory over establishment politician against incumbent Republican Karen Handel, the same one who beat Jon Ossoff a year prior. McBath’s win surprised everyone on both sides of the aisle. McBath won GA-06, a district mainly representing Gwinnett County, which was expected to maintain Republican control for some time.
Even the 2020 attempts by state Republicans to redraw her district from a center-leaning district to one more conservative by adding in Cherokee and Forsyth County wasn’t enough to stop her. That redistricting allowed the area to support 2020’s GA-07 loser Rich McCormick, forcing a 2022 election that would remove either McBath or fellow north metro Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux. McBath won comfortably in that head-to-head matchup with Bourdeaux. McBath won again On November 5th of this year.
Should McBath decide to run for Governor in 2026, who will take her place in GA-7? The most immediate call is Nabilah Islam-Parkes. Islam-Parkes, a Gwinnett State Senator, recently won re-election and could be seen as the archetype of what the party needs for its succession plans.
If successful, the move would solve a couple of issues: age, diversity, and developing a long-term leadership pipeline and bench. A McBath 2026 vote will need every vote. But do the Dems have what it takes to make the state competitive?
8. Conclusion
The Democratic Party of Georgia has a lot to do in a short amount of time. Regardless of whether Congresswoman Williams stays, a new direction is needed. The Republicans/Conservatives have been in power since 2003; if nothing changes, that could be another 20 years as well. Over the last decade, Georgia has shown flashes of what’s possible, but can they finally get over the hill?
2020 was a huge victory, but it was four years ago. If Georgia Republicans succeed in 2026, the year will likely be a blip rather than a sign of change. And if that continues, what does it mean to be a party of perpetual losers? The Democrats are on the clock, and if nothing meaningful happens, we could tell the same story two years from now.
The Georgia Dems must get it in high gear. 2026 starts now.
-KJW