Nikema Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nikema Williams
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2021
|
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th district |
|
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 |
|
| Preceded by | Kwanza Hall |
| Chair of the Georgia Democratic Party | |
| In office January 26, 2019 – March 31, 2025 |
|
| Preceded by | DuBose Porter |
| Succeeded by | Matthew Wilson (acting) |
| In office June 9, 2013 – August 31, 2013 Acting |
|
| Preceded by | Mike Berlon |
| Succeeded by | DuBose Porter |
| Member of the Georgia State Senate from the 39th district |
|
| In office December 5, 2017 – January 3, 2021 |
|
| Preceded by | Vincent Fort |
| Succeeded by | Sonya Halpern |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nikema Natassha Williams
July 30, 1978 Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Leslie Small |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Autherine Lucy (great-aunt) |
| Education | Talladega College (BA) |
Nikema Williams (born July 30, 1978) is an American politician. She represents Georgia's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. This district includes a large part of Atlanta. Before joining Congress, she was a member of the Georgia State Senate from 2017 to 2021. She also led the Democratic Party of Georgia as its Chair from 2019 to 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nikema Williams was born in Columbus, Georgia. She grew up in Smiths Station, Alabama. Her grandfather was a respected leader in their neighborhood. Her great-aunt, Autherine Lucy, was famous for being the first African American student to attend the University of Alabama.
Williams went to Talladega College. There, she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. After finishing college, she moved to Atlanta in 2002.
Early Career and Public Service
After moving to Atlanta, Williams became involved in politics. She joined the Young Democrats of Georgia. Later, she worked for a health organization, focusing on public policy. In 2018, Williams became the State Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance. This group helps people who work in homes.
Serving in the Georgia State Senate
In 2017, Williams was elected to the Georgia State Senate. She won a special election for the 39th district. This election happened after the previous senator, Vincent Fort, left to run for mayor of Atlanta.
In November 2018, Williams was part of a protest at the Georgia State Capitol. The protest was about how the 2018 Georgia governor's election was handled. Charges related to the protest were later dropped in June 2019.
Williams was one of several lawmakers who tested positive for COVID-19. This happened after being exposed by another member of the Georgia General Assembly.
Leading the Democratic Party
In 2011, Williams was chosen as the first vice chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. She briefly served as the party's temporary leader in 2013. This happened after the previous chair resigned.
Williams strongly supported Barack Obama's campaigns for president. She helped raise money for his 2012 campaign. She was recognized for raising a significant amount of money for the campaign.
In January 2019, Williams was elected to be the full-time Chair of the Georgia Democratic Party. She was re-elected in 2023. She was the first Black woman to lead the party. She also presided over some successful elections for the party in 2020.
However, Williams faced some criticism after the party's results in the 2022 and 2024 state elections. She announced that she would step down from her leadership role. She also suggested that the next party chair should be a full-time, paid position. On March 31, 2025, Williams resigned as Chair. The First Vice Chair, Matthew Wilson, became the interim Chair.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Elections to Congress
2020 Election
On July 20, 2020, after the death of Congressman John Lewis, Williams was chosen to take his place on the ballot. She ran for Georgia's 5th congressional district in the 2020 election. This district is very supportive of Democrats. Because of this, it was almost certain she would win the seat.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called a special election to fill the rest of John Lewis's term. Williams decided not to run in this special election. She chose to focus on her role as party chair instead. Kwanza Hall won the special election and served for about a month. In the main election, Williams easily won against her opponent.
2022 Election
Williams successfully kept her seat in the 2022 elections. She won by a large margin against her Republican opponent.
2024 Election
Williams won re-election again in the 2024 elections. She defeated her Republican opponent by a very large margin.
Her Work in Congress
Williams has been involved in important votes and legislative efforts. For example, she voted against the final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House. In December 2023, she was one of two Democrats who voted against expelling former New York representative George Santos.
Committee Assignments
In the 119th Congress, Nikema Williams serves on the United States House Committee on Financial Services. Within this committee, she is part of two subcommittees:
- Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance
- Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Groups She Belongs To
Williams is a member of several important groups in Congress:
- Black Maternal Health Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
- Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment
Personal Life
Nikema Williams is married to Leslie Small. He used to work for Congressman John Lewis. They met while campaigning for Democrats during the 2008 elections. They have one son together. Williams is also a former member of the UFCW union.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
