By Andrian Putra
Atlanta, November 6, 2025 – Georgia State Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes announced that she is launching a campaign to become the next chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, positioning herself as a bold and battle-tested leader heading into a pivotal election cycle.
In her announcement, Islam Parkes said the stakes for both Georgia and the nation in the upcoming elections are high, and emphasized the need for aggressive and unflinching leadership to counter Republican influence across the state. “We need bold leadership who won’t back down from a fight,” she said. “I will hold the GOP’s feet to the fire and fight to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.”
Islam Parkes, a first-generation American and rising star in Georgia politics, has framed her candidacy as part of a broader effort to build on the state Democratic Party’s recent electoral successes, including Joe Biden’s narrow 2020 victory and the Senate wins of Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. She pointed to her experience organizing at the grassroots level and winning tight races as qualifications for the party’s top leadership role.
A former campaign staffer and fundraiser, Islam Parkes has long emphasized the importance of party infrastructure and cultivating new political talent. “I’ve been dedicated to party building and raising up the next generation of Democratic leaders,” she said.
Born to working-class Bangladeshi immigrants, Islam Parkes often draws on her personal story to connect with voters. She attended Georgia State University on the HOPE scholarship while working retail jobs to support herself, experiences she credits with shaping her political values. Since being elected to the State Senate in 2022, she has championed legislation aimed at supporting working- and middle-class families.
If elected chair, Islam Parkes said she plans to expand the Democratic Party’s reach across Georgia’s 159 counties, boost turnout in rural and suburban areas, and prepare the ground for Senator Jon Ossoff’s re-election campaign in 2026. She also made clear that she sees the race as part of a broader battle against former President Donald Trump and his allies.
“We won in 2020 and 2022 by energizing our base while also appealing to new voters,” she said. “We can do it again.”
Islam Parkes is expected to face competition for the chair position, though no other candidates have formally entered the race as of Monday.
