Keisha Lance Bottoms Enters Georgia Governor’s Race

AP | Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has officially launched her campaign for Georgia governor, announcing her candidacy for the 2026 election.

In a campaign video, Bottoms highlighted her tenure as mayor and outlined her platform. “This is a defining moment for Georgia and our country,” she said.

“With chaos in Washington, Georgians need a leader who will stand up for them. I’m running to fight for Georgia families and deliver the leadership they deserve.”

She also criticized the Trump administration and Georgia’s Republican governors for not expanding Medicaid.

Bottoms, a lawyer and former magistrate judge, joined the Atlanta City Council in 2009 and was reelected in 2013. She received then-Mayor Kasim Reed’s endorsement to succeed him and narrowly won the mayoral race in 2017.

Her single term was marked by the challenges of the pandemic. In 2021, she surprised political observers by declining to seek reelection – not, she emphasized, due to a lack of passion for public service. “I ran through the tape,” she said, underscoring her commitment to getting things done until the very end.

Bottoms currently faces one Democratic primary opponent, state Senator Jason Esteves.