#Georgia Democrats plan meeting to pick Rep. John Lewis’ replacement

A committee is expected to meet Monday to decide on a Democratic nominee for the seat held by Rep. John Lewis, who died last Friday, after 131 people rushed to make Sunday’s deadline to apply, according to a report.

The committee includes Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and former Georgia governor candidate Stacey Abrams, among others, CNN reported.

The death of Lewis, 80, of pancreatic cancer on Friday, left Georgia Democrats without a candidate in the 5th Congressional District race this November.

The Democratic candidate will face off against Republican Angela Stanton-King.

“We’re still grieving,” Fulton County Democratic Committee Chair LeWanna Heard-Tucker told CNN Sunday. “This is the process unfortunately.”

Applications to run in Lewis’ seat had until 6:30 p.m. Sunday to apply.

The committee will pare down the applicants to as many as five prospects and recommend them to the state executive committee.

The Democratic Party, under Georgia law, must notify the Georgia secretary of state’s office by Monday whether they intend to appoint a replacement and then inform the office later who that person is.

Lewis, first elected to Congress in 1986, defeated challenger Barrington Martin II with 87 percent of the vote in June.