Representative Kwanza Hall

Kwanza Hall (born May 1, 1971) is an American politician and businessman who briefly served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served one term in Congress, completing the unexpired portion of Representative John Lewis’s term. Over the course of his career, Hall has been active in Atlanta municipal politics, regional economic development, and public policy, with a particular focus on urban neighborhoods, transportation, and community revitalization.

Hall was born on May 1, 1971. Details of his early life and education are not extensively documented in public sources, but his later professional and political activities were closely tied to the city of Atlanta and the broader metropolitan region. Before entering elected office, he worked in business and civic development roles that helped establish his profile in local affairs and positioned him for subsequent service in city government.

Hall first gained prominence in Atlanta politics through his service on the Atlanta City Council. He was elected in 2005 as the councilmember for the 2nd district and was re-elected in 2009. In this capacity, he represented a diverse set of intown neighborhoods, including Atlantic Station, Castleberry Hill, Downtown, Home Park, Inman Park, the Marietta Artery, Sweet Auburn and the Martin Luther King Jr. Historic District, Midtown, Poncey-Highland, and the Old Fourth Ward. During his tenure, he was associated with efforts to promote economic development, improve transportation infrastructure, and support neighborhood revitalization in these rapidly changing communities. He chose not to run for re-election to the City Council in 2017, concluding more than a decade of service in that body.

In January 2017, Hall filed to run in the 2017 Atlanta mayoral election. His campaign emphasized public safety, transportation, and affordable housing, reflecting concerns about growth, congestion, and displacement in the city. In a crowded field of 12 candidates, Hall placed seventh in the general election. After failing to advance to the runoff, he endorsed Keisha Lance Bottoms in the second round of the mayoral contest. Following her election, Hall joined her administration in 2018 as a senior political advisor. His appointment drew scrutiny because the Atlanta city charter bars elected city officials from employment with the city for one year after leaving office. He subsequently took a position as director of development for Procter Creek for Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development authority, a move that also came under public scrutiny in light of the charter’s restrictions and the close relationship between city government and Invest Atlanta.

Hall’s federal legislative career arose from the unexpected vacancy created by the death of Congressman John Lewis in July 2020. After Lewis’s passing, Hall announced his candidacy in the special election to fill the remainder of Lewis’s term representing Georgia’s 5th congressional district, a district centered on Atlanta and long regarded as a key Democratic stronghold. In the September 29, 2020, special election, Hall finished first but did not secure a majority of the vote, necessitating a runoff. The second-place finisher was Robert Michael Franklin Jr., and the two advanced to a December 1, 2020, runoff election. Hall won the runoff by nearly nine points. Separately, the Georgia Democratic Party had selected Nikema Williams as the party’s nominee for the regularly scheduled November 2020 general election to succeed Lewis in the next full term.

Hall was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives on December 3, 2020, to serve the final month of John Lewis’s term in the 116th Congress. His service in Congress, from December 2020 into early January 2021, occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, and heightened political polarization following the 2020 presidential election. As a member of the House of Representatives, Hall participated in the democratic process, contributed to the legislative work of the chamber, and represented the interests of constituents in Georgia’s 5th congressional district during the closing weeks of the term. His tenure was, by design of the special election, brief, as Williams assumed the seat at the start of the next Congress.

Following his short service in Congress, Hall returned to private life and continued his involvement in public affairs and business. Drawing on his experience in local government, economic development, and federal service, he remained engaged in issues affecting Atlanta and the broader region, including urban development, transportation, and community investment. As of the most recent public records, he continues to be recognized for his role in Atlanta’s municipal politics and for his brief but historically notable service in the United States House of Representatives.