Nationwide — Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, is running for Georgia governor, aiming to become the state’s first Black and female leader. She highlights crisis leadership experience and pushes affordability and Medicaid expansion.
Bottoms pointed to her time as mayor of Atlanta, saying it prepared her to handle major challenges. In an interview with The Atlanta Voice, she said, “I’m a battle-tested leader. I’ve led through the crisis, I’ve led through Trump 1.0, so I know what it means to have to lead through chaos and still be able to deliver for our communities.”
She said her experience in local and federal government gives her an advantage. According to her, understanding how government systems work helps her turn policy ideas into action more effectively than her opponents.
On policy, Bottoms is focusing heavily on affordability issues, especially gas prices and everyday household costs. She supports extending a suspension of the state gas tax during ongoing global uncertainty and pointed to how higher fuel prices affect major employers like Delta Airlines and ultimately consumers.
She also raised concerns about global conflict and its impact on energy markets, saying those pressures continue to raise costs for working families across Georgia.
If elected, Bottoms said her first priorities would include Medicaid expansion and broader efforts to ease the cost of living. She also reflected on her roots in Crawfordville, Georgia, saying her background shapes her commitment to public service.