Former US President on Friday (local time) endorsed former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaign for governor in Georgia, marking his first endorsement since leaving office in 2025, NBC reported.
Backing the former Atlanta mayor, Biden, in a video message, said, “I’ve known her for a long time, and she’s something special.” Lance Bottoms has served as a special advisor in the Biden administration.
Biden backs Keisha Lance Bottoms
In the video message, he went on to say that the “same qualities that made her a great mayor made her invaluable to our administration.” Biden described Lance Bottoms as “smart” and “focused” and as someone who “gets things done”.
The former added, “Georgia, she’s ready. She’s been ready”. Biden had included her in the short list of potential vice presidential running mates back in 2020.
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
According to her LinkedIn profile, Lance Bottoms graduated from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991. She then obtained her Doctor of Law degree at Georgia State University in 1994.
Since 2000, she has served as an attorney at Keisha Lance Bottoms, where she has served as the General Counsel for a multi-million-dollar business, as well as a judge in Fulton County State and Magistrate Court.
Between 2010 and 2018, Bottoms served as a part-time council member at the City of Atlanta, following which, between 2018 and 2022, she served as Atlanta’s mayor.
Since 2022, Lance Bottoms has been working as the chief executive officer (CEO) at KRLB, LLC.
Her LinkedIn bio describes Lance Bottoms as the only mayor in Atlanta’s history to have served in all three branches of government, having served as a judge and a City Council member. Tracing her family’s roots to a slave plantation in Georgia, it was Keisha’s highest honor to be named the 2020 Georgian of the Year by Georgia Trend Magazine.
Bottoms competing in
Democratic primary
The former mayor is competing in a crowded Democratic that also includes former Georgia state Sen. Jason Esteves, former state labor commissioner and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who previously served as a Republican before switching parties. Lance Bottoms has held a lead in public polling in the primary race; however, it is unclear if she will garner more than 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff following the 19 May primary.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary nomination will go on to face the eventual GOP gubernatorial nominee.
According to a February report by WABE, while there seem to be no huge funding numbers for Democrats, despite their lead in the race, funding continues to pour in for .
Georgia battleground
Georgia is a battleground state in federal elections, one that leans towards Republicans statewide and hasn’t elected a Democrat as governor since 1999, when former Governor Roy Barnes won and served until 2003.
In 2018, Democrat Stacey Abrams came within less than two percentage points of defeating Brian Kemp, who is now governor. Kemp beat her again in a 2022 rematch by more than seven percentage points.
The Republican primary field is also crowded and is unlikely to avoid a runoff. Businessman Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones currently lead in public polling, but Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and state Attorney General Chris Carr are also running. Kemp is term-limited.
