Joe Biden on Friday endorsed former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the Georgia gubernatorial race.
It’s Biden’s first endorsement since he left office.
“I’ve known her for a long time, and she’s something special. As mayor of Atlanta, Keisha faced every challenge a leader could face and then some,” Biden said.
“A global pandemic, a major cyber attack on the city systems, economic uncertainty that tested every community across Georgia, but she handled it all with steady, thoughtful leadership. That’s the definition of battle-tested,” he continued.
“Georgia, she’s ready! She’s been ready. Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor, now!” Biden added.
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Bottoms maintains a sizable lead over the Democratic field but remains well below the 50 percent threshold that would allow her to avoid a runoff.
The other top contenders are former state Labor Commissioner and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond; former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, a former Republican who broke with the party after the 2020 election; and former state Sen. Jason Esteves.
Bottoms had 32 percent of the vote, compared with between 10 percent and 15 percent for the other three, in a 20/20 Insight poll taken at the end of March.
The winner on the Democratic side is likely to face either businessman Rick Jackson or Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, the President Trump-backed candidate, coming out of the Republican primary. The two are in a near dead-heat, according to an Atlanta Journal Constitution poll released this week.
The Georgia primary is scheduled for May 19.
“Georgia saw RECORD-BREAKING voter turnout on the 1st day of early voting yesterday! Out of the 35,000+ Georgia voters, more than 20,000 of them voted in the Democratic primary. Let’s keep the momentum going through the primary election on May 19!” Bottoms’ campaign page said.
Georgia saw RECORD-BREAKING voter turnout on the 1st day of early voting yesterday!
Out of the 35,000+ Georgia voters, more than 20,000 of them voted in the Democratic primary. Let’s keep the momentum going through the primary election on May 19! #gapol pic.twitter.com/GMGB6JV1RD
— Keisha For Georgia (@KeishaForGA) April 28, 2026
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Bottoms served as a senior advisor to the president and the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement following a single term as Mayor of Atlanta.
Bottoms has faced criticism for serving only one term, something she addressed in a recent gubernatorial debate.
Bottoms chose not to run for a second term as mayor of Atlanta during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to critics saying she left the city behind during a difficult time. She said she made the right decision for herself and her family at the time, and she was able to go and work in the Biden Administration advocating for her home state, and she is proud of the work she did as mayor.
ADVERTISEMENTHer decision to not run again caused surprise as she became the first one-term mayor since World War II in Atlanta, and it has been a repeated talking point from her opponents.
