ATLANTA — Former U.S. Congressman Kwanza Hall announced he is running for Lt. Governor in the state of Georgia.
The Democrat was elected to Congress in 2020 to complete the term of his mentor, civil rights leader John Lewis. His term, a short one, was then vacated by Nikema Williams. Hall's term ended four days prior to the U.S. Capitol insurrection.
He served the 5th Congressional District, which covers portions of Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties.
Prior to the short stint in Congress, Hall served as an Atlanta City Councilman from 2006-2017. Before that, he was on the Atlanta School Board from 2003-2006.
In 2017, Hall ran for Mayor of Atlanta. Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mary Norwood finished at the top of the general election, which ultimately ended with Bottoms winning in a runoff.
Hall's focus is to move forward from the 2020 election. In a statement, he said:
"We have to move on from the 2020 election and focus on what Georgians need - better jobs throughout the state, academic freedom for our teachers and university staff; transportation and infrastructure improvements and to give every Georgian, no matter where they live in the state, the ability to earn a living wage and access to a hospital."
Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan announced last year that he would not seek re-election. The primary will take place on May 24, 2022. The general election will happen on Nov. 8, 2022.