Keisha Lance Bottoms Wins Democratic Nomination for Georgia Governor

May 20, 2026

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination for Georgia governor, securing over 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff. Endorsed by former President Biden, she now faces the winner of a Republican runoff in a race rated a "toss up." Democrats have not won the governorship in 24 years, and Bottoms' tumultuous term as mayor, which she frames as "battle-tested" experience, is a central issue.

Bottoms Democratic primary victory

▪Bottoms secured more than 50% of the primary vote, allowing her to avoid a June 16 runoff election.
▪Former President Joe Biden endorsed Keisha Lance Bottoms in the gubernatorial race.
▪Keisha Lance Bottoms, former mayor of Atlanta, won the Democratic nomination for Georgia governor on May 19, 2026.
▪Her opponents in the Democratic primary included former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond and former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.

Georgia gubernatorial race dynamics

▪Georgia is considered a political swing state after narrowly voting for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
▪The Cook Political Report rates the Georgia gubernatorial race as a “toss up.”
▪A Democrat has not been elected governor of Georgia for 24 years, since Roy Barnes' defeat in 2002.
▪This is the third consecutive time Georgia Democrats have nominated a Black woman as their candidate for governor.
▪In the November general election, Bottoms will face the winner of a Republican runoff between Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare executive Rick Jackson.

Bottoms campaign platform

▪On the campaign trail, Bottoms has described herself as a "battle-tested" leader, referencing her tumultuous term as mayor.
▪If elected, Bottoms has proposed exempting teachers from state income taxes.
▪Bottoms' campaign platform focused on expanding Medicaid, strengthening voting rights, and creating more affordable housing.

Bottoms mayoral record

▪During her mayoralty, the wealthy Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead attempted to secede from the city.
▪Bottoms served one term as mayor of Atlanta before taking a position as a senior adviser in the Biden administration.
▪Her mayoral term faced criticism over rising crime and the firing of a police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks.
▪As mayor, Bottoms managed the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and protests following the 2020 killing of George Floyd.