Key takeaways:
- Keisha Lance Bottoms officially launched her 2026 Georgia governor campaign with a direct challenge to Donald Trump’s policies.
- Her platform focuses on Medicaid expansion, housing reform and support for working families across Georgia.
- If elected, Bottoms would become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history.
In a state known for razor-thin margins and political swings, Keisha Lance Bottoms is officially entering the Georgia governor’s race and positioning herself as a champion for working families and a check on Donald Trump’s influence.
The former Atlanta mayor, who held senior roles in Joe Biden’s White House and the Democratic National Committee, made her announcement via a campaign video that combined personal storytelling with a direct attack on Trump’s economic policies.
“These days, most Georgians are right to wonder: Who’s looking out for us?” Bottoms said in the clip. “Donald Trump is a disaster for our economy and our country.”
Keisha Lance Bottoms focuses on healthcare, housing and working families
Bottoms says Trump’s administration has worsened economic conditions across Georgia. She cited tariffs affecting more than 600,000 jobs tied to ports like Savannah and Brunswick, job losses at the Atlanta-based CDC, and delays at the Social Security Administration under Elon Musk’s DOGE Service initiative.
Her platform includes expanding Medicaid, supporting teachers and first responders, holding corporate landlords accountable for rising housing costs and increasing access to college and career training for youth. She argues these policies “transcend party [lines]” and appeal to Georgians regardless of political affiliation.
“We all want the same thing, regardless of where we live in the state,” she expressed, per The Washington Post. “We want communities that are thriving. We want communities that are providing quality education for our kids. We want to be able to put food on the table. We want to be able to put gas in the car. We want to be able to access health care.”
Bottoms’ track record on public safety, COVID and civil rights
As Atlanta mayor, Bottoms led the city through the COVID-19 crisis, stood firm on the city’s mask mandate despite Republican opposition and redirected federal relief funds into violence prevention and youth employment programs. She also created an Office of Violence Reduction to tackle the root causes of crime.
During the 2020 George Floyd protests, Bottoms emerged as a national voice for calm and justice, while invoking her role as a Black mother. She condemned Trump’s immigration enforcement policies by blocking ICE detainee transfers in Atlanta and has remained outspoken on civil rights issues.
Her entry reshapes the 2026 Georgia governor’s race, where Republicans like Attorney General Chris Carr and Trump-aligned Lt. Gov. Burt Jones are already making waves. Trump narrowly won Georgia in 2024, but his endorsements have lost traction in past state contests, opening a lane for Democrats to make gains.
If elected, Bottoms would be the first Black woman governor in American history. Though she isn’t specifically focusing on breaking that glass ceiling, she acknowledges the significance of her identity: “I am a Black woman. I’m a mother. I’m a daughter... I’m running in the fullness of who I am.”