Former US President Joe Biden on Friday (local time) endorsed former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaign for governor in Georgia, his first endorsement since leaving office in 2025, NBC reported.
A supporter of the former Atlanta mayor, Biden, said in a video message: “I’ve known her for a long time and she’s something special.” Lance Bottoms served as a special adviser in the Biden administration.
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Biden endorses Keisha Lance Bottoms
He went on to say in the video message that “the same qualities that made her a great mayor have made her invaluable to our administration.” Biden described Lance Bottoms as “smart” and “focused” and as someone who “gets things done.”
The former president added: “Georgia, she’s ready. She was ready.” Biden included her on a short list of potential vice presidential candidates in 2020.
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
According to her LinkedIn profile, Lance Bottoms graduated from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree. She then received her Juris Doctor from Georgia State University in 1994.
She has been an attorney at Keisha Lance Bottoms since 2000, serving as lead counsel for a multi-million dollar business as well as a Fulton County State and Magistrate Court Judge.
From 2010 to 2018, Bottoms served as a part-time council member for the City of Atlanta, before serving as Mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022.
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Since 2022, Lance Bottoms has been working as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KRLB, LLC.
Her LinkedIn bio describes Lance Bottoms as the only mayor in Atlanta history to serve in all three branches of government, serving as a judge and a member of the City Council. Tracing her family’s roots to a slave plantation in Georgia, Keisha was honored to be named Georgia Trend Magazine’s 2020 Georgian of the Year.
Competition underwear
Democratic primaries
The former mayor is competing in a crowded Democratic primary that also includes former Georgia state Sen. Jason Estevez, former state Labor Commissioner and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and former Gov. Geoff Duncan, who previously served as a Republican before switching parties. Lance Bottoms held the lead in the public vote in the primary race; however, it is unclear whether he will get more than 50% of the vote and avoid a runoff after the May 19 primary.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary nomination will face the eventual GOP gubernatorial nominee.
According to a WABE report from February, while Democrats don’t appear to have any huge funds, despite their lead in the race, funds are still flowing to Republicans.
Georgian battlefield
Georgia is a battleground state in federal elections, a state that leans Republican nationally and hasn’t elected a Democrat governor since 1999, when former Gov. Roy Barnes won and served until 2003.
In 2018, Democrat Stacey Abrams came within two percentage points of defeating Brian Kemp, who is now the governor. Kemp defeated her again in a rematch in 2022 by more than seven percentage points.
The Republican primary field is also crowded and unlikely to avoid a runoff. Businessman Rick Jackson and Governor Burt Jones are currently leading in public opinion polls, but Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and State Representative Chris Carr are also running. The camp is limited in time.
