Keisha Lance Bottoms, who previously served as mayor of Atlanta, expects to announce her campaign for governor of Georgia.
The former city leader had hinted at becoming a contender for the gubernatorial race, exploring the bid alongside other notable state politicians such as Rep. Lucy McBath. Bottoms confirmed in a new statement that she will probably announce her run “soon.”
“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us that there is a ‘fierce urgency of now,’” Bottoms said, as reported by The Atlanta Voice. “For the people of Georgia, that includes having leaders who aren’t blindly following Trump off of a moral and economic cliff but are focused on the pressing needs in our communities. I have previously publicly shared that I was seriously considering a run for governor and expect to make a formal announcement soon.”
Bottoms also confirmed her intentions to 11Alive on a special local holiday, 404 Day, which took place on April 4 to commemorate the Atlanta area code. She will “seriously consider” a run, but has not specified a date for when she will formally launch the campaign.
During Bottoms’ stint as the second Black woman Mayor elected in Atlanta history, she championed affordable housing while advocating for social issues such as immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. During Trump’s first term, she reiterated that Atlanta would not follow his executive orders regarding ICE detainment and deportations. She notably did not seek re-election for the role.
Bottoms’ pre-announcement puts her among the bigger names among the Democrats eyeing the position. McBath’s exploratory bid also made her one of the frontrunners for the Democratic primary. However, she had to bow out of her potential run due to her husband’s cancer treatment. Those reportedly exploring runs include Jason Carter, a former state senator and grandson of President Jimmy Carter, and Stacey Abrams, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in the last two elections.
Bottoms made headlines recently for emphasizing how she resigned from her White House advisory role upon President Donald Trump assuming office. She affirmed that she left the President’s Export Council a day before Trump’s own declaration that he fired her and others from the positions.
Georgia has been notably purple at the federal level, but has not elected a Democratic governor since Roy Barnes in 1999. Although the state went red during the general election, many hope to turn the state blue with a heavy focus on its Black voter turnout.
Many eyes will be on the Georgia races taking place in 2026, including a highly-coveted congressional race to fill Sen. Jon Ossoff’s seat. Ossoff is also expected to run for reelection.
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