Keisha Lance Bottoms

Keisha Lance Bottoms was born and raised in Georgia and is a lawyer. Before running for mayor she served as a magistrate judge and as a member of the Atlanta City Council. She was sworn in as the 60th Mayor of Atlanta on January 2, 2018 and served one term, through 2022; as mayor she led the city's COVID-19 response and launched the Atlanta Open Checkbook financial transparency platform. After leaving office she served as Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden for Public Engagement, leading the White House Office of Public Engagement, and later as a member of the President's Export Council. She has also worked as a political commentator for CNN. In the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary for Governor of Georgia she won more than 50 percent of the vote, avoiding a runoff, against a field that included former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and former state Senator Jason Esteves. She faces Republican Rick Jackson on November 3, 2026.