Nationwide — Keisha Lance Bottoms, who made history as the second African American woman to be mayor of Atlanta, has officially entered the race for governor of Georgia. She announced her candidacy Tuesday morning with a campaign video highlighting her working-class roots, family values, and a sharp critique of former President Donald Trump.
In the video, Bottoms, who was also a senior official in the Biden White House and Democratic National Committee, accuses Trump of harming the economy and jeopardizing Medicare and Social Security. “Donald Trump is a disaster for our economy and our country,” she says, pledging to expand Medicaid in Georgia, support educators and first responders, tackle rising housing costs caused by corporate landlords, and invest in career training and college pathways for youth.
Speaking to NBC News ahead of her announcement, Bottoms pointed to what she called “Trump 2.0’s catastrophic impact” on Georgia, noting job losses tied to Trump’s tariff policies at the Port of Savannah and layoffs at the Atlanta-based CDC. “Everything Trump touches—from our retirement accounts to job stability—has negatively affected Georgia,” she said.
Bottoms began her political career as a municipal judge and Atlanta City Council member before becoming mayor in 2018. During her tenure, she oversaw the city’s pandemic response and managed protests following the killing of George Floyd and the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks. She also fought with Republican Governor Brian Kemp over local COVID safety measures, defying a state ban to uphold Atlanta’s mask mandate.
On the issue of crime, Bottoms defended her record, saying the rise in violence was a national trend post-COVID. She cited her administration’s use of federal relief funds to launch programs like the Office of Violence Prevention and youth summer job initiatives aimed at curbing violence.
Bottoms also made headlines as mayor for halting the city’s cooperation with ICE, in protest of the Trump administration’s family separation policy. While she reaffirmed that violent offenders should face justice regardless of immigration status, she criticized the administration’s deportation of nonviolent individuals, like undocumented students stopped for minor infractions.
Currently, the most prominent Democrat in the race, Bottoms could face Republican Attorney General Chris Carr and other GOP contenders. If elected, she would become Georgia’s first Democratic governor in more than 20 years. Emphasizing her broad appeal, Bottoms said her campaign message “transcends party affiliation and geographic boundaries.”
Addressing recent Democratic concerns about President Biden’s fitness for office, Bottoms defended him, saying she saw no signs of cognitive decline during her time working closely with him.