Former Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill announced his intentions to run for Congress. Hill says he will challenge U.S. Representative, Nikema Williams, in Georgia’s 5th Congressional District. Additionally, Hill says he will run as a Democrat and will remain a Democrat.
Hill was convicted in 2022 for violating the constitutional rights of detainees by ordering them to be held in a restraint chair for hours. He served 18 months in and was released last spring. In April 2024, he lost an appeal to overturn his conviction. Currently, he is serving six years of probation.
Hill still is staring down civil lawsuits stemming from those allegations.
“I think if there’s ever a time, where we can address these issues, grand juries, convicted felons or whatever. We have people in power now that have been victims of lawfare, up to including the president, who ran as a convicted felon,” Hill said. “And if we can’t agree on anything else, we can at least agree on this and get this done.”
Georgia state law forbids a convicted felon from running for state office. However, federal law does not prevent a convicted felon from running for federal office.
According to his podcast, Hill says he was encouraged by his fellow inmates at Forrest City Federal Correctional Institution in Arkansas.
“I’m going to remain in the party, and let’s see if we can bring some strength to the party and some common sense,” Hill said.
How did we get here?
Notably, Hill served as the Clayton County Sheriff between 2005 and 2008 and again from 2012 until 2021. He was suspended by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp after the indictment surfaced.
Meanwhile, Congresswoman Nikema Willams was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2020 after the death of Civil Rights Icon and former U.S. Rep., John R. Lewis. Georgia’s 5th Congressional District stretches from Sandy Springs, most of the City of Atlanta, and portions of Clayton County.
Hill has not filed the paperwork necessary to mount a primary challenge.