Former Atlanta City Councilmen Kwanza Hall has won an election to briefly fill the congressional seat once held by Rep. John Lewis. The former councilmen defeated former Morehouse College Robert Franklin in a special election on Tuesday.
“This win tonight allows me to continue that fight and to work every day of this term,” Hall said.
“Although not the outcome we had wanted, I am pleased that our district will have voice and vote in the critical days ahead,” Franklin added.
Both Franklin and Hall competed in a crowded field of candidates during an election earlier in the fall. The two emerged as the top vote getters which led to this month's head-to-head competition.
Hall will represent the district in Congress until January 3. Former Georgia State Senator Nikema Williams defeated Angela Stanton in November and will begin serving her full two-year in January.
"It's an overwhelming moment for me, and I don't think that I think the magnitude of the moment has set in. Lewis was a very personal friend to me. My husband worked for him for eight years. So while he was a national figure, [an] international figure ... he was a mentor and a friend to me. I understand that no one will ever be able to fill the shoes of Congressman Lewis, but I hope to live up to his legacy and build upon it as I start my own path," Williams stated after being elected.
The two will be sworn into office separately in the coming days.
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