ATLANTA – On March 31st, following a vote this weekend by the DPG’s State Committee amending the Party’s bylaws to create a full-time paid Chair role, Congresswoman Nikema Williams released the following statement:

“When I was elected to the role of Chairwoman in 2019, Georgia was on the cusp of an extraordinary shift that few would buy into. Through strategic vision, relentless organizing, and an unwavering belief in the power of our people, we turned this state into the battleground it was always meant to be. Under my leadership, we elected both Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock to the U.S. Senate, sent a Democrat to the White House for the first time in 28 years,  expanded our influence in the state legislature and flipped hundreds of municipal and county seats—proving that Georgia’s political future belongs to those willing to fight for it.

“None of this happened overnight or alone. It took a strategy led by Democratic Elected officials, DPG State Committee members, County Party members, activists, union leaders, civil rights groups, civic engagement organizations and so many more. In partnership we have turned the DPG into a national force and I know the best is still yet to come.

“My work has always been about how to best serve the people. Democrats in this state and the people of Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District. In both roles the objectives are the same: safer, healthier communities for our children, a stronger democracy, true reproductive freedom and economic opportunity for everyone–no matter their ZIP code or bank account.

“Progress demands evolution, y’all. Just as we have pushed the boundaries to reach this point, Georgia Democrats must push boundaries once more. For the party to meet the moment while honoring its commitment to working people, the role of Chair cannot remain an uncompensated volunteer position.

“The Democratic Party of Georgia State Committee met Saturday, March 29th in Oglethorpe County. I called the meeting to discuss and adopt proposed language that I instructed the bylaws committee to work on over the last few months, with your input, under the leadership of Bylaws Committee Chairman Will Fowlkes.

“As we move forward as a state party and battleground state, with the approval of a majority of the state committee members voting, we will now have paid full time Chair, required by our bylaws.

“I was clear from the beginning of this process, that once the approved language was adopted, this would prohibit me from continuing to serve as your Chairwoman due to ethics rules in the US House of Representatives.

“This is an exciting time in our party as we continue to move from a light shade of Periwinkle to a bright shade of Blue.

“As the first Black woman to chair the DPG, I set out to build a party that wasn’t just reactive but proactive, not just present but powerful. That’s exactly what we did. I remain committed to electing Democrats, expanding opportunity and fighting for a future where every Georgian has a voice and stake in our democracy. That work doesn’t end here and neither do I as I remain a member of both the state committee and executive committee and the Congresswoman for Georgia’s Fighting Fifth.

“Effective immediately, our 1st Vice Chair will assume the role of interim chair until the state committee elects a permanent chair as laid out in our governing documents.

“As times continue to get hard as they have been for our communities over the last few months under a Trump/Musk Presidency, remember the words of the late Congressman John Lewis, “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime.”