'John Lewis is smiling': Late Rep's district delivers blow to Trump in Georgia

The new gains put Mr Biden ahead with an extremely tight lead of 917 votes

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden overtook President Donald Trump in Georgia overnight, with late civil rights leader John Lewis’ former district appearing to play a key role in delivering Democratic presidential nominee a razor-edge lead.

According to elections data from Clayton County, which formed part of Mr Lewis’ congressional district before he died in July after being diagnosed with Stage four pancreatic cancer, Mr Biden gained 1,602 votes, while Mr Trump added 223.

The new gains put Mr Biden ahead with an extremely tight lead of 917 votes. 

The race is still too close to call, but some have suggested that there is “poetic” justice in the fact that it appears to have been Mr Lewis’ former district that delivered Mr Trump a severe blow. 

The president had refused to offer any words of praise for Mr Lewis following his passing, instead complaining of how the late representative and original Freedom Rider had not attended his State of the Union speeches.

Read more: 2020 election results

Asked how history would look back at Mr Lewis’s role as a civil rights icon during an interview with Axios’ Jonathan Swan shortly after the Congressman’s death, Mr Trump said: “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

“I never met John Lewis, I don’t believe,” the president said. 

He then noted that Lewis, who died at the age of 80, “chose not to come to my inauguration” and “didn’t come to my State of the Union speeches.”

“And that’s OK,” Trump said. “That’s his right." However, the president added: “He should’ve come. I think he made a big mistake.”

Few appear to have forgotten the interview, with Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu writing in a tweet: “John Lewis is smiling”. 

Actor and activist George Takei, celebrated for his role playing Hikaru Sulu in the television series Star Trek, also weighed in, writing: “John Lewis, we did it. Thank you.”

He also thanked Stacey Abrams, with many crediting the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate for her role in rallying Democratic voters across the state.

“I only wish that John Lewis was able to see this moment,” Andrew Weinstein, the chair of the Democratic Lawyers Council said.

Prior to the ballot update from Clayton County, Jelani Cobb, a staff writer for The New Yorker had written a tweet about the possibility of the county helping secure Mr Trump’s defeat.

“Would be too poetic if the late John Lewis’s former district was what sent 45 packing,” Cobb had said.

Biden would need to win two of Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina and Nevada or win Pennsylvania to defeat the Republican. 

While Fox News and the Associated Press have already called Arizona for Biden, others have said it is too soon to make a call.