The new leader of the Georgia House Democrats ripped into U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff on Tuesday for his “ill-timed and ill-advised” private efforts to oust U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams from her role as chairwoman of the state party.
House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, who was elected to the post last week, told the “Politically Georgia” podcast that she’s “very disappointed” that Ossoff maneuvered behind the scenes to pressure Williams to relinquish her role after the November election.
“I think this could have been handled professionally, but there’s no excuse in my opinion for a U.S. senator to behave in this way and to challenge her in the way that she has been challenged,” said Hugley, a Columbus Democrat and close ally of Williams.
She is the most vocal high-ranking Georgia Democrat to publicly support Williams amid an intraparty battle to remove her from the post. And Hugley’s remarks sharpen internal rifts over the party’s approach as Ossoff prepares for a tough 2026 reelection bid.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“To try and demean and harass and embarrass someone who’s done a good job in the capacity as chair of the party is very distasteful to me, and it’s very disappointing to me,” Hugley said.
Ossoff has declined to comment publicly on the push to sideline Williams, saying only there were “ongoing conversations” about party leadership after former President Donald Trump carried Georgia and every other battleground state. An Ossoff aide declined to comment Tuesday when asked to respond to Hugley’s remarks.
But officials say Ossoff privately called Williams and pressed her to stand down the day after the Nov. 5 vote. Williams relayed to friends details of that phone conversation, saying that Ossoff told her he lacked confidence in her leadership.
And a group of prominent Democratic donors, elected officials and activists told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they want Williams to step down from the voluntary role long before her second term ends in 2027. Among them are several Black leaders and party organizations, including the Georgia Federation of Democratic Women and the Young Democrats of Georgia.
Some complained about dysfunctional party efforts to mobilize voters. Others praised Williams but said the party chair should be a full-time, paid role filled by a senior strategist or former elected official who can commit to the job on a permanent basis.
Several party leaders have notably declined to defend Williams, including other members of Georgia’s congressional delegation. Some said they hope the messy fight is over soon; U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson pointed out a “groundswell of support” behind calls for Williams to quit.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Williams on Friday endorsed making the party’s chair a full-time, paid job, which could set the stage for her to bow out within months rather than heed the more immediate demands to quit.
But she noted in a memo to party activists that Vice President Kamala Harris outdid Joe Biden’s 2020 vote totals in Georgia by more than 70,000 ballots, performing better here than other competitive states.
“This year is a setback, but it is not a defeat,” she wrote. “We entered the 2024 cycle as an undeniable battleground state, and we cemented our status as one for cycles to come.”
Hugley said she also backs making the chair position a full-time job, but she said Williams “has earned the respect and the right to come to her decision at her own time.”
She added that Ossoff must work to restore confidence among Black voters who make up the party’s base.
“I like Sen. Ossoff,” said Hugley, who is Black. “I like the work that he has done. I just don’t think he’s been well advised in this particular instance,” she said, adding:
“He will not have a problem with the majority of Black voters if we can work through this and if he shows leadership in terms of getting us over this situation that has been created.”
