Keisha Lance Bottoms

Keisha Lance Bottoms is a nominee for governor of Georgia in the upcoming midterm election, scheduled for November 3, 2026. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida A&M University and a Juris Doctor from Georgia State College of Law. Her career in public service spans Atlanta’s city government as well as the federal government: she served as a magistrate judge and then Fulton County Superior Court judge; represented Atlanta’s 11th District on the City Council from 2010 to 2018; and served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022. After leaving city hall, she worked in the administration of President Joseph R. Biden as director of the Office of Public Engagement and as a senior adviser to the president from 2022 to 2023. In her gubernatorial campaign, Bottoms has emphasized expanding Medicaid, increasing access to affordable health care, addressing housing costs, supporting education, and protecting working families.