Will Keisha Lance Bottoms’ ties to Joe Biden hurt her campaign for governor?

Now that former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is officially running for governor, one of the biggest questions she’ll face is whether her alliance with Joe Biden is a political boost or a burden.

In an extensive interview that we published this morning, Bottoms discussed her decision to forgo a second term as Atlanta mayor, her bitter feud with Gov. Brian Kemp and lessons learned from her time in Biden’s inner circle as a senior White House adviser.

Her close ties with Biden, who this week disclosed he had late-stage prostate cancer, once made her one of the most powerful Democrats in the state and still carries weight among many party loyalists.

But now the former president is confronting fresh scrutiny about his age and mental fitness during his term in the White House, as former aides and allies criticize him for not ceding the nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris sooner.

Bottoms told us she “never saw anything in terms of cognitive decline that gave me cause for concern” about Biden, who at 82 left office as the oldest-serving president in U.S. history.

And she said she learned valuable lessons about the art of advocacy during her stint at the White House, including knowing “what you want and how to ask for it.” But she also emphasized her campaign is her own.

Credit: Susan Walsh/AP

Credit: Susan Walsh/AP

“I’m going to make the case for me. I’m not running based on anybody else’s record or their decisions,” she said.

“Am I proud of my service in the White House? I certainly am. An opportunity to serve in the presidential administration is something that anyone should be proud of. But I’m going to run on my record and how I can deliver for the people of Georgia.”

Republicans are already working to brand U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and other statewide Democratic contenders as too liberal for Georgia. Expect them to try to push Bottoms as a “Biden Democrat,” too.

Things to know

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Good morning! Here are three things to know for today:

Speaking out

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock has been a consistent critic of President Donald Trump’s policies. Now, he’s looking for help from some of Atlanta’s business leaders.

The Georgia Democrat made his pitch to the Atlanta Rotary Club on Monday, telling the packed ballroom that “in the same way you fight for tax cuts, stand up and fight for immigration policy that makes good business sense.”

“I know that when you’re running a business you want to stay as far from politics as you can. I don’t blame you,” Warnock said. “But there comes a moment when that which is so fundamental to opportunity and possibility is at stake that we have to raise our voices. We have to use our influence.”

Warnock used much of his speech to highlight the dangers of federal funding cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while warning about the economic damage of tariffs. But his call to action was concentrated on immigration. He called for a “reasonable” immigration policy that would secure the border while “giving people who are here a dignified path to citizenship.”

“We can do it as long as we don’t let politics get in the way,” he said. “Politics has a way of making things complicated that aren’t that complicated.”

Tax relief

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

A $10 million donation from some Atlanta developers has more than doubled the number of slots available in a popular property tax relief program. Now, Atlanta officials are rushing to get the word out ahead of the May 31 application deadline — and it’s creating an opportunity for at least one City Council candidate.

Wayne Martin, a candidate for the open District 11 seat, held what he called an “emergency news conference” over the weekend to promote the Anti-Displacement Tax Relief Fund.

The program, as our AJC colleague Riley Bunch reported, will help pay the property tax bills for low-income homeowners who are 60 and older and make less than $48,000 per year. The goal is to prevent people from being priced out of their homes amid rising Atlanta real estate values.

The program resonated with Martin, the former government affairs director for the Atlanta Housing Authority, who said he grew up in a family that “was homeless for a significant amount of time.”

“Housing affordability, housing availability is always at the forefront of my mind,” he said.

The race for the southwest Atlanta seat is expected to be crowded after incumbent council member Marci Collier Overstreet opted to run for City Council president. Martin, a former staffer for Council Member Matt Westmoreland, has filed paperwork for the seat. Other candidates we know about include Steven Dingle and attorney Nate Jester.

Martin’s news conference is already paying off. He said someone saw a news story about it and contacted him to get more information about the program.

“I know the need is there,” Martin said. “Now that we are helping to get the word out, I think we’re going to see an increase in demand for the program.”

Budget watch

Georgia gave people more time to pay their taxes this year, and early results show a lot of you took advantage of it.

State tax collections were down by more than $230 million in April compared to last year. But payments in the first few days of May “have significantly exceeded” last year’s total, according to Gov. Brian Kemp’s administration.

April is typically the biggest month of the year for state revenues, as the tax filing deadline usually falls on the 15th. But state officials moved this year’s deadline to May 1 to account for impacts of Hurricane Helene.

It has been tricky to get a good read on Georgia’s revenue this year. State officials compare this year’s tax collections with last year. By that measure, year-to-date state tax collections are up more than $312 million.

But the numbers are skewed. Georgia suspended its gas tax for more than two months in the previous fiscal year. If you account for that, then state revenues are actually down by about $154.2 million.

Georgia’s fiscal year ends June 30, so we’ll get a clearer picture in July when state officials release the numbers for June.

Listen up

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC

Today on “Politically Georgia,” former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms discusses her decision to run for governor and what’s ahead for her campaign. Then, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan shares his idea for the Democratic Party to start winning majorities again — a Tea Party-inspired movement for “Main Street Democrats.”

Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

King of the Hill?

Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

President Donald Trump is taking the short car ride to Capitol Hill this morning to attend House Republicans’ weekly closed-door strategy meeting in hopes of unifying the party around his “big, beautiful” reconciliation bill.

The visit comes after four hard-liners, including U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde of Athens allowed the bill to advance out of the Budget Committee late Sunday despite lingering concerns that it doesn’t cut federal spending enough and fails to includes some policy changes they championed.

But as House Speaker Mike Johnson attempts to work through the conservatives’ demands, he risks making changes that turn off moderates or Republicans elected in swing districts. Johnson’s goal is to put the reconciliation bill on the floor for a full House vote on Thursday, but much will depend on whether he can get his members on the same page.

And that is precisely where Trump could help.

Today in Washington

Shoutout

Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

Today’s birthday:

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

Before you go

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Health care advocates rallied outside of the Georgia Capitol on Monday to warn about proposed cuts in the Republican budget proposal moving through Congress. It’s not just Medicaid. The AJC’s Michelle Baruchman reports advocates warned about an expiring tax credit that helps 800,000 people purchase health insurance.

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.