ATLANTA — Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden tapped California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate Tuesday, making her the first Black woman and first Asian American on a major party’s presidential ticket.

Georgia Democrats were quick to show enthusiasm toward the decision to make Harris the vice presidential candidate. Harris was a former Democratic presidential hopeful but ended her bid last year.

Nikema Williams, Democratic Party of Georgia chairwoman, described Harris as “strong” and “brilliant” with a proven track record, saying she has the “knowledge, the will and the drive to fight for the soul of our nation.”

“Make no mistake — ambitious, smart Black women are the driving force of this party and this country. Georgia Democrats have Kamala’s back — because we know she will have ours,” she said.

Williams is on her own road to Washington, D.C., after the Democratic party of Georgia picked her to replace the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis on the November ballot.

Stacey Abrams — who narrowly lost to Gov. Brian Kemp in 2018 — was rumored to be on Biden’s short list for his running mate along with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Abrams said she was a part of the selection process until the final days, possibly hinting she was among the final choices.

”I am thrilled to support Senator Kamala Harris as the next vice president of the United States. I am privileged to have been part of this process and to speak with Vice President Biden at length over the weekend and again today,” she said. “He is building a team that can rebuild America and restore our faith in what lies ahead. I look forward to doing all I can for Team Biden-Harris to deliver Georgia’s 16 electoral votes and a Senate majority, and to fight voter suppression across the country.”

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson called the pick a “historic nomination to serve in the 2nd highest office in the United States.”

But Republicans were quick to jump on their counter-messaging, saying that the Biden-Harris ticket is “radical.”

“Voters will have a stark choice this November: reelect President Trump who, prior to the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, led the greatest economic turnaround in U.S. history, or choose the Biden-Harris ticket that would pull America down the road to socialism,” Sen. David Perdue said. “Georgians aren’t looking for a career politician first elected to office in 1972 or a California liberal to lead our country.”