John Lewis

John Lewis (Democratic Party) was a member of the U.S. House, representing Georgia's 5th Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 1987. He died on July 17, 2020, after announcing in December 2019 that he had stage four pancreatic cancer.[1][2]

The Democratic Party of Georgia selected Nikema Williams to replace Lewis on the general election ballot after Lewis' death.[3]

Lewis was an elected public official from 1982 through 2020, having served on the Atlanta City Council prior to his election to the U.S. House.

Lewis was called one of the "Big Six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement." He was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders—a group of people who rode buses in 1961 to test compliance with Supreme Court decisions declaring segregation on interstate transit and in facilities for interstate travelers unconstitutional.[4][5] In 1963, Lewis became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, where he organized student protests such as sit-ins. He also helped organize the March on Washington. At 23 years old, Lewis was the youngest speaker at the march. He was the last living speaker.[6][7]

In 2011, Lewis was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.[8]

John Lewis did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.