ATLANTA — Charlie Bailey, the former statewide candidate for attorney general and later lieutenant governor, has been elected chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.

He won with about 53% of the vote in a runoff Saturday against former Rome City Commissioner Wendy Davis.

“People in our base have lost faith in our ability to fight for them,” Bailey said in his speech before members Saturday. “As chair, I will fight every single day for the justice of every person in this state.”

He said his priority is raising enough money to support Democrats in the upcoming race for public service commissioner, a likely special election for state Senate and statewide constitutional officers next year.

Bailey had the backing of U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is heading into what is expected to be a hard-fought reelection next year.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath nominated Bailey for the role, saying he believed in her when no one else did.

“The future of our state depends on Charlie,” she said.

The vote comes as the party struggles to find its footing after the November election. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showed just 35% of Georgians have a favorable view of the party — the lowest rating in nine years of polling.

And Democratic officials are facing demands from liberal activists to take a more combative approach against President Donald Trump and his allies ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

The chair job came open in March after U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams resigned under pressure from donors, activists and elected officials who questioned whether she could continue serving in a dual role as a sitting lawmaker and the party’s leader.

Typically an internal fight, her leadership became a public battle as prominent officials traded open letters vouching for Williams or urging that she step down before her second four-year term ends in 2027.

Infighting surfaced in the hours after the presidential election in November, when a dozen Democratic leaders told the AJC that Williams should step aside. Some panned the party’s strategy or accused Williams of wasting resources.

Others praised her long record in the volunteer position but said the job demands a full-time staffer who did not face restrictions in raising funds for the party, as Williams is because she serves in the U.S. House.

The pushback grew as word trickled out that Ossoff called Williams and pressed her to stand down. Williams relayed to friends that Ossoff told her he lacked confidence in her leadership.

Party activists in March overwhelmingly backed a rule change to make the chair a full-time position. Williams endorsed the move before she resigned, saying it would ensure that “independently wealthy folks” are not the only ones who can fill the role.

At the Teamsters Local Union 728 building in south Atlanta on Saturday, Bailey vowed to raise “tremendous” amounts of money and spend that money “directly, strategically and efficiently” in races throughout Georgia.

“No more will we let our people be out there with one arm or two arms tied behind their back,” strapped for financial resources in crucial contests, he said.

He previously served as an assistant district attorney in Fulton County focusing on gang crimes, and now works as a partner at a private law firm.

Some candidates complained that his election was predestined and wanted to ensure Black women in particular were elevated for consideration.

“The Democratic Party is a diverse party that believes in opportunity for everybody,” Bailey said. “We’re at our strongest when we represent the entire state.”

Davis, a member of the Democratic National Committee, stressed her three decades of grassroots organizing for Democrats. But ultimately Bailey’s support from Democratic heavyweights, like Ossoff and McBath, helped Bailey prevail.

“We are together. You are worth something bigger than yourself, and we’re working towards a common goal,” Bailey said.

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