Keisha Lance Bottoms has never been one to wait her turn. “I’ve run in races that people didn’t think I would win,” she says in an interview with BET.com. “I outworked my opponents. I earned the vote and the trust of voters, and I was victorious.”

That same clarity and conviction now fuels her campaign for governor of Georgia. With Republican Governor Brian Kemp’s term ending in 2026, the race is wide open. Bottoms is jumping into the Democratic primary, signaling a return to state politics ahead of the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election, which will take place on November 3, 2026.

The former mayor of Atlanta, Bottoms has already proven what it looks like to navigate—and fight through—political firestorms. After serving from 2018 to 2021, she joined President Joe Biden’s administration in 2022 as Director of the Office of Public Engagement, becoming a senior adviser. She extended her tenure multiple times before stepping down in March 2023. That didn’t stop Donald Trump from attempting a last-minute power play by firing her, after she had already resigned. 

Now, Bottoms is turning toward Georgia’s top job—and she’s doing it with the memory of her grandmother. “My grandmother meant the absolute world to me,” she says. “She and my grandfather always looked out for us and did whatever they could to make our lives better. I count her in the great cloud of witnesses from Heaven who I know are cheering me on.” She invokes her family's story as a moral compass. “We can trace our family five generations back to a plantation in Crawfordville, Georgia. My grandmother came to Atlanta from Crawfordville on a horse and buggy. Her parents were looking for better opportunities, and that’s what I believe 2025 and 2026 will be about—looking for ways to make life better for our families.”

Bottoms isn’t offering just hope and legacy; she’s calling out what’s broken, especially regarding voting rights. “Unfortunately, the laws in Georgia have taken us back in so many ways,” she says. “But for those of us who still have the power of the vote, we’ve got to exercise it. Georgia was a cradle of the Civil Rights Movement. Congressman John Lewis reminded us that our vote is the most powerful weapon we have for change. We’ve got to show up to vote every single opportunity we get. Whether it’s a school board member, a governor, or president—elections matter.”

She doesn't mince words about Trump’s return to political life either: “In just the short period of time that Donald Trump has been back in office, he’s created chaos—not just in Georgia, but across the country and the globe. People in Georgia are facing uncertainty. CEOs are watching their stock prices fluctuate. Small business owners are struggling to stabilize their businesses under these extreme shifts in tariffs. It’s impacting us all.”

For those who wonder what a Bottoms administration would mean for Black communities specifically, she’s focused on economic survival and health care access. “Forty-five percent of people in this state are employed by small businesses, and many of them are owned by African Americans. People are looking to start up, scale, and stabilize their businesses—but they need access to capital and support,” she says.

“Donald Trump closed Small Business Administration offices in metro Atlanta, a huge center of Black life in this state. As governor, I’ll make sure people have resources no matter where they are in Georgia.” As for healthcare, “Nine rural hospitals have closed. A Level I trauma center closed in downtown Atlanta. We don’t have Medicaid expansion—we’re one of only nine states without it. That’s 300,000 people without healthcare and $710 million lost because we refuse to expand. That’s a strain on the African American community specifically.”

She sees the schools in Georgia as another battlefield, one where Black children too often bear the brunt of broken systems. “We’re struggling to retain teachers in our public schools. One of the policies I’ll put forth is that teachers won’t pay income taxes. That’s how we attract and retain them. And that’s especially important in the African American community, where our schools are already struggling.”

For those who are disillusioned with the Democratic Party, Bottoms leans in. “We gotta go into communities and listen to what people are saying they want and need. We can have all the ideas in the world but unless I’m out knocking on doors, going into church basements, meeting people where they are and hearing from them directly, then it’s all for naught.” She adds, “It’s difficult to concern yourself with reproductive freedom when you can’t put food on the table. It’s difficult to think about broader policy when you can’t get gas or don’t trust your child is safe at school or can’t access a pediatrician in your county.”

And for the young people who’ve opted out of the political process altogether? Bottoms offers both a challenge and a truth. “We have to remind young people that their vote does matter. It’s not all or nothing. You don’t always get what you want. But one guarantee to get absolutely nothing is to not vote and not have your voice heard. As Congressman John Lewis reminded us, our vote is sacred. It’s the most powerful weapon we have. As we look at all the rollbacks from the Trump administration—literally an effort to erase our history—I don’t know if there’s a greater reminder of how important it is to show up and vote.”

To those who say a Black woman can’t be elected governor of Georgia, Bottoms doesn’t flinch. “Every election is a new election,” she says. “You take best practices, lessons learned, and you build on that. That’s the mindset I’m taking into this race.” The implication is clear—Stacey Abrams’ two losses don’t define what’s possible in Georgia; they are stepping stones, not tombstones. “That same fighting spirit I had as mayor—fighting for people across this state during chaotic times—is the same spirit I’ll take into the governor’s office.”

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms isn’t asking Georgia to take a chance. She’s demanding the state recognize what’s already proven—that a Black woman, rooted in history, unbothered by power, and fortified by faith, can run this state and better. “I hope to continue to make my grandmother proud,” she says. With a campaign born of purpose, she just might make history proud, too.

Clay Cane is a New York Times bestselling author. His forthcoming novel, Burn Down Master's House, is scheduled for release on January 27, 2026.