Georgia Gubernatorial Race: Bottoms Faces Historical First

Keisha Lance Bottoms is running for governor of Georgia to become the first Black woman elected to the office in any state. She faces Republican challenger Rick Jackson, a 72-year-old billionaire who has spent more than $200 million of his own money to attack her record as mayor of Atlanta. The race pits a former mayor and White House adviser against a suburban estate owner who grew up in the same city.

Bottoms, 56, traces her family history to a plantation in Crawfordville. She identifies as at least a fifth-generation Georgian. She rarely mentions slavery or Jim Crow segregation in her campaign speeches. Instead, she focuses on policy issues such as economic struggles and expanding Medicaid eligibility. Her opponents argue her time in office defined the city by crime and unrest.

Jackson’s campaign has relied heavily on television ads featuring footage from 2020 street protests. Those demonstrations followed the police killing of Rayshard Brooks, an unarmed Black man. The ads pair grainy images of Bottoms with scenes of violence. Jackson has repeatedly told voters that bad mayors do not make good governors. He pointed to her decision to leave Atlanta before completing a second term to join President Joe Biden’s administration.

Other Republicans have joined the critique. President Donald Trump accused Bottoms of destroying Atlanta with crime and riots during a rally in Macon last weekend. He stated that he always viewed the city as great but no longer considers it that way. John King, the state insurance commissioner and a former Atlanta police officer, called Bottoms a candidate who let Atlanta burn. That phrase references a Wendy’s restaurant set on fire by protesters near the scene of Brooks’ death.

Bottoms responded in a recent advertisement featuring clips from a news conference she held during the 2020 protests. In the video, she tells crowds to go home because the city is better than the behavior on the streets. She said she is a mother of four and will not let opponents out-care about the state. Her campaign emphasizes her experience as a city council member, magistrate judge, and prosecutor before serving as mayor.

Stacey Abrams, who lost the governor’s race in 2018 and 2022, said Bottoms has a strong argument because she held the executive role. Abrams noted that previous candidates faced higher bars from voters who value executive experience. Bottoms is the third consecutive Black woman nominated for governor by Georgia Democrats. All 83 governors in the state since 1776 have been white men.

Federal statistics show Atlanta’s crime spike during Bottoms’ tenure mirrored a national surge caused by the pandemic. Rates dropped after the pandemic waned. Bottoms signed an executive order blocking the Atlanta jail from holding federal immigration detainees. She also signed a city ordinance eliminating cash bail for certain nonviolent crimes to reduce jail population. Her campaign argues these moves address excessive punishment for low-grade offenses.

Supporters see the race as a test of values rather than just policy. Beverly Rice, a retired educator and Bottoms supporter, said she sees a governor for all the people, not just a Black governor. The race will be decided in the next few weeks as both campaigns target voters in suburbs and small towns. Bottoms plans to rally with former President Barack Obama this Wednesday to counter the Republican attacks on her record.