Statesboro civil rights lawyer Francys Johnson has resigned as Georgia NAACP president and hinted he is doing so in order to run for Congress in 2018.

“Our nation is in crisis,” Johnson said Saturday upon stepping down during the organization's national convention in Baltimore, which will continue through Tuesday. “This moment calls for every head, heart, and hand to engage the work of ensuring that all the promises of our democracy are fulfilled. The upcoming election in 16 months carries consequences unlike any other mid-term in our lifetime. This election will either reinforce and sustain the path we're on—or change it. I promise no one will work harder to turn this momentum for change into a reality.”

Johnson, who has a law office in Statesboro, described the decision as an emotional one for him, saying, “It's emotional to step away from doing something you love.”