Bottoms reframes her record as 2026 races takes shape

On stage at the Politically Georgia forum this month, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms described herself as a political iconoclast — someone not easily pinned to a single ideological lane.

“If people look back on my record as mayor, they would likely say that I’m more of a moderate,” she said. “There’s some issues that people thought that I was too far right, and some issues that people thought that I was too far left.”

To many of her critics, the Democratic front-runner for Georgia governor is many things. But a middle-of-the-road candidate is not one of them.

Bottoms built her political profile as mayor of Georgia’s capital city by championing a suite of policies that aligned her with the party’s progressive wing, from moving to close Atlanta’s jail, scaling back cash bail and opposing Trump-led immigration crackdowns.

Her response to the 2020 protests for racial justice vaulted her to national prominence, and put her on a path to a White House role as a senior adviser to President Joe Biden.

But as she runs for governor, Bottoms is highlighting a different part of her record, emphasizing her push to increase police funding, her support for the controversial public safety training center and her role recruiting Fortune 500 firms to the city.

It’s a framing that reflects a broader effort to appeal to the political center — and to reassure voters uneasy about the city’s tumultuous period during her tenure.

“I don’t subscribe to a title,” she said. “I just subscribe to doing what’s right by the people.”

‘Baggage?’

With a commanding lead among likely Democratic primary voters, pulling 40% in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll, Bottoms is looking to solidify her party’s base while also seeking a broader swath of the electorate.

But that has also made her a target. Her rivals argue she’s attempting to reframe her image in a battleground state where political flexibility can be both rewarded and punished.

Former state Sen. Jason Esteves, one of her Democratic opponents, has sharpened his critiques, arguing Democrats can’t afford a nominee weighed down by the “baggage” of Bottoms’ decision not to seek a second term.

“If we make this campaign next year about individuals and about celebrity Democrats, we’ll lose again,” said Esteves.

“If we make this campaign next year about individuals and about celebrity Democrats, we’ll lose again,” says Democratic candidate for governor Jason Esteves, shown here speaking to the press at Manuel's Tavern. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Bottoms has brushed aside those jabs, saying she “ran through the tape” and ended her time as mayor on her own terms.

“This is a different season, and this is a different time in our lives as a country,” she said.

Still, the debate over her tenure — and how she chooses to portray it — is likely to remain central to the Democratic contest. And her lead in the polls gives her a chance to tailor her pitch to general election voters, said veteran strategist Fred Hicks.

“Especially swing voters who may be moving away from Trump but have concerns about her ability to govern,” said Hicks.

‘Progress moving’

Her 2026 message leans heavily on affordability and housing, including grants for first-time homebuyers and stricter oversight of corporate landlords. And she’s revived a theme from her days as mayor, when she talked of merging “commerce with compassion.”

“There are a lot of opportunities, big and small, for us to look at affordability and make a dent,” she said.

But some former supporters say her message doesn’t mask frustrations with her performance as mayor. Kimberly Krautter, an international business consultant, said she proudly voted for Bottoms in 2017 but regretted it later.

“Sadly, like many of my friends and colleagues, I felt like she was an absentee mayor,” said Krautter, who also worked for former Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore, who was bested by Bottoms in the 2017 race. “She was more interested in participating in celebrity photo shoots and auditioning for a D.C. job than actually taking care of the needs of Atlantans.”