Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms filed paperwork Monday to begin raising money for a run for Georgia governor, with plans to formally launch her campaign within weeks.
The filing adds clarity to a Democratic field seeking to succeed term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp. State Sen. Jason Esteves entered the race last week, while several other high-profile Democrats have taken themselves out of contention.
“I am honored and humbled by the encouragement I have received as I have considered running for governor,” said Bottoms, who called the filing an “important administrative step in this journey.”
Bottoms enjoys high name recognition in metro Atlanta, the heart of Georgia’s Democratic electorate, and she won office with overwhelming support from Black women — the party’s most loyal and influential voting bloc.
But she had a complicated track record as mayor.
She has heralded her administration’s work on social justice and affordable housing issues. She also had to deal with a massive cyberattack early in her term and a widening corruption probe of members of former Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration.
But to some voters, she’s most known for her abrupt 2021 decision not to seek a second term as mayor weeks after President Joe Biden helped launch her reelection campaign. She also faced criticism during her tenure over a spike in violent crime and her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bottoms, who spent three years as a senior adviser to Biden, has said she hopes to channel liberal frustration with President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda and position herself as a forceful counter to his administration’s policies.
Esteves struck a similar note, telling The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he would fight Trump-driven “chaos” and offer a new vision for Georgia voters. Two-time nominee Stacey Abrams, meanwhile, is considering a comeback bid.
Several other potential candidates have taken a pass. Jason Carter, the party’s 2014 nominee, told the AJC last week he was staying out of the race to focus on his wife Kate’s battle with brain cancer. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath earlier suspended her campaign amid her husband’s health challenges.
And former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said he’s torn about a run in part because there’s only a “narrow path” for a Democrat to win.
On the Republican side, Attorney General Chris Carr jumped in the race in November, and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is expected to follow soon. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is also a possible candidate.
“We’ll just wait and see and let the summer play out,” Raffensperger said, adding he’s listening to voters to help him decide “how I can be best able to serve the people of Georgia.”
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