Democrats have selected a Black woman to take the place of John Lewis on the ballot in November, CNN reported.

It was announced on Monday that State Sen. Nikema Williams would be the Democratic nominee for the Atlanta-area district in Congress.

Williams was selected to replace Lewis, who passed away on Friday at the age of 80, as Blavity previously reported. He was first elected to Congress in 1986 and was known for being a remarkable civil rights leader, helping to push the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

During a Zoom meeting, Georgia Democrats voted on Williams among four other finalists.

The state senator referenced her upbringing in Alabama, the birthplace of Lewis, and said she was a student of his politics, as he "practiced the art of getting into 'good trouble.'"

"Nobody could possibly fill the shoes of Congressman Lewis," Williams said. "His leadership and fighting spirit is needed now more than ever in this country. I believe it is imperative that we choose someone with a long track record of fearlessly standing up for what is right and someone who will take on the endless attacks on our rights that we've grown accustomed to seeing from the Republican Party."

Williams also mentioned her arrest in November 2018 at the state Capitol for protesting the results of the gubernatorial election between Stacey Abrams and Brian Kemp.

"We need someone who is not afraid to put themselves on the line for their constituents in the same way that Congressman Lewis taught us to," she said.

According to CNN, the state party executive committee overwhelmingly voted for Williams over more than 130 other nominated candidates.

The decision to select Lewis' replacement so quickly was faced with opposition. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, some Democrats were hoping to select a "placeholder" candidate.

Michael Collins, one of Lewis' top aides, requested the committee to carry out the "will of the people" and allow the people to vote for their representative.

“He believed very strongly that the people who represent the citizens should be elected by the citizens,” Collins wrote of Lewis. “And that a free and fair election, where all individuals have a level-playing field, is in the best interest of our democracy.”

Since Lewis had previously won the primary election, under Georgia law, party officials were allowed until 4 p.m. on Monday to decide if his name would stay on the ballot or if someone would replace him.

Party leaders said leaving his name on the ballot could have caused them to lose the election.

Other candidates included Morehouse College President Robert Franklin and Georgia NAACP President James "Major" Woodall.

CNN projects the Democrats to take the district in the upcoming November election, citing it as a deep blue district.

Williams will face Republican Angela Stanton-King — a Donald Trump ally and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece — in November. If Williams wins the election, she will be the first Black woman elected to lead the Georgia Democratic Party to serve the Atlanta-area district in Congress.

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