Runoff Election Will Decide Who Gets To Serve Remainder of John Lewis’ Term

Two Democrats are competing for the seat, which only one will fill for about a month.

Two Atlanta area Democrats will face each other in a runoff election on December 1 to see who will serve out the remainder of the term left when Rep. John Lewis died in August.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, former Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall and former Morehouse College President Robert Franklin were the two top vote-getters in the special election held on Tuesday (September 29). The winner of the runoff will serve in Lewis’ place from the beginning of December until Jan. 3.
RELATED: Rep. John Lewis Writes Parting Message, Urging People To Carry The Torch Forward

Hall and Franklin were among seven candidates who ran to fill Lewis’ seat.

There was a low turnout for the election. Only 10 percent of voters, or less than 50,000 people cast ballots on Tuesday, according to the AJC. By comparison, 170,000 voted in the June Georgia primary.

“John Lewis’ legacy is important to continue…and that requires being an active citizen,” said Eric Ottenberg, 30, who told the AJC he voted in the special election.
However, the contest to fill the seat to succeed Lewis as the Georgia 5th Congressional District representative overlaps with the November election. In that race, Nikema Williams, who is chair of the Georgia Democratic party will face Angela Stanton-King, a Republican and supporter of President Trump.

Williams is favored to win the race because the 5th District is heavily Democratic.

WASHINGTON D.C. – MARCH 17: Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) is photographed in his offices in the Canon House office building on March 17, 2009 in Washington, D.C. The former Big Six leader of the civil rights movement was the architect and keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in 1963. (Photo by Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images)

Blogs

MARY J BLIGE THINKING ABOUT QUITTING

MARY J BLIGE THINKING ABOUT QUITTING

We’ve got good news and bad news for Mary J. Blige fans. The bad news is that the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” is thinking about calling it quits, after more than 30 years in the game. The good news is, she isn’t stopping anytime soon. M-J-B told Extra that “Right now, I’m definitely gonna do…

TIFFANY HADDISH DISHES ON COMMON

TIFFANY HADDISH DISHES ON COMMON

Tiffany Haddish thinks she has her ex-boyfriend Common figured out. In a recent interview, Haddish theorized his dating pattern. She said, “It’s every two years. It’s like six to nine months single and then two years on [in a relationship] and then six to nine months single and then two years on. That’s his schedule.…

TYSON-PAUL FIGHT SANCTIONED AS PROFESSIONAL

TYSON-PAUL FIGHT SANCTIONED AS PROFESSIONAL

July’s boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will be an official professional fight. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations has sanctioned the bout. There will be eight two-minute rounds, and each fighter will use 14-ounce gloves. The outcome will land on each fighter’s professional record. The fight takes place on July 20th…

KANYE WEST GOING X-RATED?

KANYE WEST GOING X-RATED?

Ye’s latest ambition is X-rated. TMZ reports that he’s kicking around the idea of expanding the Yeezy brand to include a pornography studio. Insiders claim that Ye and his inner circle are deep into talks with Stormy Daniels’s ex-husband, adult entertainment producer Mike Moz, on building out the “Yeezy Porn” division. Ye’s relationship with porn…