Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says she’s gearing up to run for governor of Georgia. Speaking at the Leading Women Defined Summit, she dropped a major hint, saying, “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that there is a ‘fierce urgency of now.’ For the people of Georgia, that means having leaders who aren’t blindly following Trump off a moral and economic cliff, but who are focused on the real needs in our communities.”
The 55-year-old politician, who served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022, also confirmed she’s seriously considering a run, adding, “I’ve shared before that I’m thinking about it, and I plan to make a formal announcement soon.”
If she runs and wins the November 2026 gubernatorial race, Bottoms would make history as Georgia’s first woman and first Black governor—and the first Black female governor in U.S. history. This would also mark a third attempt for the state, as Stacey Abrams has tried twice in the past without success.
For months now, Bottoms has been signaling a potential bid for governor. During her time as mayor, she earned praise for her leadership, particularly through tough moments like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. She also took aim at Georgia’s Republican Governor, Brian Kemp, accusing him of reopening businesses too soon amid the pandemic, which she believed posed a public safety risk. And she was vocal about how President Donald Trump made the situation worse, especially in terms of the racial tensions that grew during that time.
Bottoms also led Atlanta through a challenging period of strained community-police relations following the police shooting of Rayshard Brooks in 2020. Speaking on the tragedy, she shared, “That could have been any one of us. That could be any of our kids or brothers. In this case, it was someone’s father.”
After stepping down as mayor, Bottoms joined the Biden administration as a senior advisor and director of the Office of Public Engagement. She worked in the White House for about a year, with President Biden praising her as a “bright, honorable, tough” leader. He also lauded her for her work in Atlanta, particularly for balancing the city’s budget without tax hikes, layoffs, or furloughs during tough economic times, and for making significant strides in criminal justice reform and LGBTQ rights.
Biden noted, “The Bottoms Administration became a model for equitable government and commerce.” Looks like the potential for her to lead Georgia might be next!
