Keisha Lance Bottoms Wins Her Primary — What Does It Mean for Her Georgia Governor’s Race?

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms secured the Democratic primary nomination for governor on May 19, stunning political observers by avoiding the June 16 runoff many expected and scoring a major win for her campaign. A runoff election occurs when no candidate meets the required threshold to win outright, forcing the top two candidates into a second race.

Following her victory, Bottoms took to Instagram on Tuesday night to thank supporters, posting photos from her primary election celebration and pledging to “build a Georgia that works for all.”

She penned, “Thank you, Georgia! Between now and November we will fight for every single vote, in every county, in every corner of this state. We will build a Georgia that works for all of us.”

She added, “Georgia, the power is in our hands.”

But the path to victory wasn’t without obstacles. Fulton County — Georgia’s most populous county and a Democratic stronghold — experienced significant voting disruptions on Election Day after two precincts inside Ison Springs Elementary School were placed on a soft lockdown for several hours due to reports of nearby gunshots. Voting was suspended during that time, and a Fulton County Superior Court judge ultimately extended polling hours at those locations until after 11 p.m. Despite it all, Georgia showed up.

Why is this historic?

Bottoms can now shift her full attention to the general election campaign which will take place this year on Nov. 3. If elected, she would become the first Democrat to win Georgia’s governor’s race since 1998. She would also become Georgia’s first female governor and the first Black female governor in United States history. Georgia has been close to making this a reality, as this marks the third consecutive election cycle in which Georgia Democrats have nominated a Black woman for governor. Georgia rep. Stacy Abrams was close to earning the historic titles in 2018 and 2022 consecutively.

Bottoms is close to the finish line, but she’ll have to face the winner of next month’s Republican gubernatorial runoff between Burt Jones and billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson.

What would Keisha Lance Bottoms do as governor if she wins her campaign?

After her victory Tuesday night, the fierce Democrat said she plans to focus on ensuring “every Georgian has an opportunity to succeed,” according to WABE. She identified voting rights, healthcare expansion, affordable housing, and improving education as top priorities.

Many of those issues shaped her tenure as Atlanta’s 60th mayor from 2018 to 2022. During her administration, Bottoms guided the city through the COVID-19 pandemic and emerged as a prominent voice for racial justice during the civil unrest that followed the May 2020 police-related killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Her administration also launched Atlanta’s Safer Streets Action Plan, a two-year, $5 million initiative aimed at improving safety for cyclists, drivers, public transit riders, and e-scooter users. Bottoms also assembled nationally recognized civil rights attorneys and policing experts to review Atlanta Police Department tactics and policies, including use-of-force standards and de-escalation training.

Additional accomplishments during her tenure included establishing Atlanta’s first fully staffed Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; appointing an LGBTQ Affairs Coordinator and a Human Trafficking Fellow; eliminating cash bail citywide; and launching Atlanta’s Open Checkbook transparency platform.

Bottoms also helped secure more than $700 million for housing initiatives and played a role in building or preserving more than 7,000 affordable homes, efforts aimed at keeping residents housed during periods of crisis and recovery. 

Sadly, her record as mayor has already faced intense scrutiny from Republicans who are determined to see her lose November’s race. Notably, on May 20, the Republican Governors Association criticized Bottoms following her primary victory, taking aim at her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and protests that sparked in Atlanta following George Floyd’s death in 2020.

“Georgia families know the dangers of Keisha Lance Bottoms’ leadership: higher crime and violent illegal immigrants roaming free,” the organization said on their website. “Bottoms’ brief tenure as mayor of Atlanta was a disaster and now she thinks she’s earned a promotion. Nothing has changed with Bottoms – she will destroy the progress Georgia has seen over the past 8 years, just like she did in Atlanta,” they added. 

Despite the criticism, Bottoms made clear during her victory speech that she intends to run an aggressive campaign against both Republicans and former President Donald Trump. She argued that her GOP opponents are disconnected from the struggles facing Georgia families.

“I am a fighter and I could not rest knowing that people across this state needed someone to stand in the gap and fight on their behalf. And Georgians sent a clear message tonight that they want a fighter. Someone who will stand up to Donald Trump in all of the chaos that’s raising costs, that’s hurt our economy, that threatens the rights of generations,” she said Tuesday night.

“And let’s be clear, the only people Burt Jones and Rick Jackson have fought for are themselves. Their campaigns are not about Georgians. They are not waking up every single day thinking about the challenges that our families are facing across this state and how to take them on. And they certainly do not see Donald Trump as someone to stand up to.”

Bottoms closed with another sharp contrast between herself and the Republican candidates.

“No matter who emerges from their runoff, the choice this November will be clear. Burt Jones and Rick Jackson have spent their lives enriching themselves and are running for governor to do just that. I’ll be a governor who will always fight for you.”

Who was she up against?

Leaning heavily on her name recognition as a former Atlanta mayor, Bottoms faced a competitive Democratic primary field that included several well-known political figures with deep experience and influential endorsements. Among them were former Labor Commissioner and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond; former lieutenant governor and Republican-turned-Democrat Geoff Duncan; and former state senator Jason Esteves.

Esteves received backing from Jason Carter, the grandson of late President Jimmy Carter, along with dozens of local and municipal officials who opted to support Esteves over Bottoms, according to Atlanta News First.

Keisha Lance Bottoms has what it takes to become Georgia’s next governor, but her campaign will take hard work and determination. 

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