Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms filed paperwork Monday to begin raising money for a run for Georgia governor, with plans to soon formally launch a campaign for Georgia’s top job.
The filing adds clarity to a Democratic field that now lacks a frontrunner in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp. State Sen. Jason Esteves entered the race last week, while several other high-profile Democrats have taken themselves out of contention.
“I am honored and humbled by the encouragement I have received as I have considered running for governor,” said Bottoms, who called the filing an “important administrative step in this journey.”
Bottoms enjoys high name recognition in metro Atlanta, the heart of Georgia’s Democratic electorate, and she won office with overwhelming support from Black women — the party’s most loyal and influential voting bloc.
And as an early supporter of President Joe Biden, she was considered as a potential running-mate for his 2020 ticket. She later joined his administration, with a position as a key adviser that gave her access to Biden’s inner circle and a national platform.
But Bottoms had a complicated track record as mayor.
She began her term amid a widening corruption probe of members of former Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration, and soon faced a massive cyberattack that hobbled City Hall for months.
Her work on social justice and affordable housing issues, including moves to end cash bail requirements for low-level offenders, earned praise from progressive activists and party loyalists but pushback from tough-on-crime conservatives.
And after a peaceful protest over the death of George Floyd turned violent in May 2020, she made an emotional appeal to the demonstrators in downtown Atlanta: “If you care about this city, then go home.”
She also faced criticism over a spike in violent crime, which fueled a failed movement to split Atlanta into two, and her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which sparked a bitter feud with Kemp.
Her tenure came to an abrupt end with her 2021 decision not to seek a second term as mayor, which came weeks after Biden helped launch her reelection campaign. At the time, Bottoms said it was clear to her that it was “time to pass the baton on to someone else.”
After a stint as a CNN commentator, Bottoms spent three years as a senior adviser to Biden, an experience that is likely to shape her bid for governor. She has said she will aim to channel frustrations with President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda into electoral energy.
It’s no easy task. Democrats haven’t won the race for Georgia’s top job since 1998, and Bottoms is expected to face tough competition for her party’s nomination.
Esteves has told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he would fight Trump-driven “chaos” and offer a new vision for Georgia voters. Two-time nominee Stacey Abrams, who has a vast fundraising network and is still a favorite of some party leaders, is also considering a comeback bid.
Several other potential candidates have taken a pass. Jason Carter, the party’s 2014 nominee, told the AJC last week he was staying out of the race to focus on his wife Kate’s battle with brain cancer. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath earlier suspended her campaign amid her husband’s health challenges.
And former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said he’s torn about a run in part because there’s only a “very narrow path” for a Democrat to win.
On the Republican side, Attorney General Chris Carr jumped in the race in November, and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is expected to follow soon. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who has crossover appeal, is also a possible candidate.
“We’ll just wait and see and let the summer play out,” Raffensperger said, adding he’s listening to voters to help him decide “how I can be best able to serve the people of Georgia.”
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