Keisha R Lance Bottoms earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Florida A&M University and a law degree from the Georgia State University College of Law. She is a married mother of four.

Keisha is the mayor of Atlanta, where she leads the city government, oversees the budget, public safety, and economic development. She previously worked as a judge in Georgia courts, presiding over legal cases, and as an Atlanta city councilwoman, where she helped pass local laws and set city policies.

Keisha is an attorney who owned her own consulting and law practice for over the past 26 years.

LinkedIn

Keisha served as the Mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022. Prior to her mayoral term, she represented District 11 on the Atlanta City Council from 2010 to 2018.

2026 Georgia Primary Election

Democrat

Nonpartisan

Republican

2026 Georgia Primary Runoff

Plans to eliminate income taxes for teachers.

Wants to work to crack down on corporate landlords that are buying up houses and making it harder for families to buy a home or afford rent.

Wants to provide targeted tax relief for veterans and military retirees.

Seeks to move faster to hire veterans into state government and high-demand industries.

- Plans to eliminate income taxes for teachers.
- Wants to work to crack down on corporate landlords that are buying up houses and making it harder for families to buy a home or afford rent.
- Wants to provide targeted tax relief for veterans and military retirees.
- Seeks to move faster to hire veterans into state government and high-demand industries.

Economy

Aims to fully fund Georgia's schools and modernize the state's "outdated education funding formula" so it reflects the needs of students today.

- Aims to fully fund Georgia's schools and modernize the state's "outdated education funding formula" so it reflects the needs of students today.

Education

Supports expanding Medicaid to provide healthcare coverage for more Georgians and to prevent rural hospitals from closing.

- Supports expanding Medicaid to provide healthcare coverage for more Georgians and to prevent rural hospitals from closing.
- Supports abortion access.

Healthcare

Promises to invest in targeted violence reduction efforts.

Supports stricter firearm regulations, including universal background checks and a red flag law.

Seeks to expand diversion and treatment options for nonviolent cases along with reentry pathways for prisoners.

- Promises to invest in targeted violence reduction efforts.
- Supports stricter firearm regulations, including universal background checks and a red flag law.
- Seeks to expand diversion and treatment options for nonviolent cases along with reentry pathways for prisoners.

Public Safety

Prioritizes investing in flood mitigation, brownfield redevelopment, and stronger environmental protections for vulnerable communities, while making sure water infrastructure is reliable and able to keep up with growth.

- Prioritizes investing in flood mitigation, brownfield redevelopment, and stronger environmental protections for vulnerable communities, while making sure water infrastructure is reliable and able to keep up with growth.

Energy & the Environment

Promises to push back on laws and actions that make voting harder, protect local election officials from political interference, rein in the "out-of-control State Election Board," and support policies that expand early voting, protect absentee voting, and make Election Day a state holiday.

- Promises to push back on laws and actions that make voting harder, protect local election officials from political interference, rein in the "out-of-control State Election Board," and support policies that expand early voting, protect absentee voting, and make Election Day a state holiday.

Voting & Elections

Aims to expand skill translation so military experience counts toward civilian licenses and credentials.

- Aims to expand skill translation so military experience counts toward civilian licenses and credentials.

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Facebook

The Collective PAC

Georgia Democratic Voter Guide

AFGE

Emilys List

Higher Heights for America PAC

Endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees.

Endorsed by the Higher Heights for America PAC.

- Endorsed by President Joe Biden.
- Endorsed by The Collective PAC.
- Endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees.
- Endorsed by EMILY's List.
- Endorsed by the Higher Heights for America PAC.

Endorsements

Instagram

Twitter

Keisha Lance Bottoms

Keisha R Lance Bottoms

Promises to invest in targeted violece reduction efforts.

- Promises to invest in targeted violece reduction efforts.
- Supports stricter firearm regulations, including universal background checks and a red flag law.
- Seeks to expand diversion and treatment options for nonviolent cases along with reentry pathways for prisoners.

- Plans to eliminate income taxes for teachers.
- Wants to work to crack down on corporate landlords that are buying up houses and making it harder for families to buy a home or afford rent.

- Aims to expand skill translation so military experience counts toward civilian licenses and credentials.
- Wants to provide targeted tax relief for veterans and military retirees.
- Seeks to move faster to hire veterans into state government and high-demand industries.

- Aims to expand skill translation so military experience counts toward civilian licenses and credentials.
- Seeks to move faster to hire veterans into state government and high-demand industries.
- Wants to provide targeted tax relief for veterans and military retirees.

- Endorsed by Joe Biden.
- Endorsed by the Collective PAC.
- Endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees.
- Endorsed by EMILY's List.
- Endorsed by the Higher Heights for America PAC.

As of March 11, 2026, Keisha R Lance Bottoms’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Keisha R Lance Bottoms is at least a fifth generation Georgian. She earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Florida A&M University and subsequently earned her Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the Georgia State University College of Law. Keisha and her husband, Derek, are parents to four children in Atlanta.

Linkedin

Keisha iserved as the Mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022. Prior to her mayoral term, she represented District 11 on the Atlanta City Council from 2010 to 2018.

Will work to crack down on corporate landlords that are buying up houses and making it harder for families to buy a home or afford rent.

As Mayor of Atlanta,  delivered historic salary raises for police officers and firefighters

- Plans to eliminate income taxes for teachers.
- Will work to crack down on corporate landlords that are buying up houses and making it harder for families to buy a home or afford rent.
- As Mayor of Atlanta,  delivered historic salary raises for police officers and firefighters

- Supports expanding Medicaid to provide healthcare coverage for more Georgians and to prevent rural hospitals from closing.

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Derrick Jackson

Geoff Duncan

Jason Esteves

Michael "Mike" Thurmond

Olu Brown

- The Governor is similar to the President of the United States: they oversee the executive branch, sign bills into law and then enforce these laws, and act as the commander-in-chief of the state military.
- The Governor has a large influence over which new laws get passed because they can veto any legislation. Georgia lawmakers can only override a veto with a two-thirds majority in the State House and State Senate.
- The Governor appoints heads of various judicial and state offices including the: Department of Education, Department of Human Resources, Department of Public Safety, Department of Transportation, Department of Community Health, Department of Economic Development, and the Department of Natural Resources.
In case a state representative is not able to complete their term, the Governor can appoint a replacement until the end of the term. 
- The Governor is elected every 4 years in midterm election years (e.g., 2022, 2026, 2030). If a governor serves for eight years (two terms in a row), they must wait another four years before running again.

The chief executive of the state who oversees the executive branch