‘History will write itself’: Keisha Lance Bottoms talks historic Georgia campaign and says of criticisms, she has no regrets

EXCLUSIVE: In a wide-ranging interview with theGrio, Bottoms defends her decision to pause her political career and not seek re-election as Atlanta mayor. She also lays out her plans to confront the Trump administration on the economy, voting rights, and immigration.

Keisha Lance Bottoms has an opportunity to do what no Black woman has ever done, and if early polling is any indication, she just may do it.

The Democratic gubernatorial nominee is on the ballot this November in Georgia, where, if elected, she would become the Peach State’s first Black female governor. What’s more, Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, would become the first Black female governor in United States history–and the first Democrat since 1998.

In a sit-down interview with theGrio, Bottoms says the historic nature of her campaign is not lost on her, most especially as a native Georgian whose lineage can be traced back generations.

“[I’m] able to trace my family back at least five generations in this state to a plantation in Georgia and on my dad’s side,” shared Bottoms, who was recently presented with historical documents from the 10 Million Names Project. Her father’s family history dates back to the 1700s.

“I was very grateful to receive it,” she told theGrio. “Obviously, history will write itself when I am elected, but…as someone who is a descendant of the once enslaved in this country and to know just how far we have come as a people, it is just personally very fulfilling for me and an honor to have this opportunity to serve.”

Bottoms is promising to be a “fighter” for Georgians as she takes on Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson, a billionaire health care executive. Her campaign platform includes expanding Medicaid in Georgia, which is one of 10 states that have not expanded it, to lower health care costs, eliminating the state income tax for teachers, and providing universal pre-K.

She’s also made standing up to President Donald Trump a major feature of her campaign.

“This Donald Trump 2.0, there is just another layer of urgency. I was mayor of Atlanta during the first Trump administration, so I know what it’s like to have to stand up to this bully in the White House,” Bottoms told theGrio. “But I also know what it means to be able to deliver for people in the midst of chaos. So that means addressing these issues around affordability.”

Like many states across the country, Black communities across Georgia are especially feeling the pains of the affordability crisis that has been exacerbated by Trump’s war in Iran, tariffs, and federal cuts, particularly at the CDC, which is headquartered in Atlanta.

“Those cuts have impacted our community health system because those funds that go into the CDC normally flow into our communities, to our public health centers,” she explained. “There’s nothing that’s gone untouched by this administration, including…Black employment in the state, our education system has been cut, housing funding cut, support for veterans has been cut. The list goes on.”

Bottoms has sought to tie her Republican opponent to Trump, who endorsed Jackson’s competitor, Burt Jones, in the primary election, despite Jackson repeatedly touting himself as just like Trump but with a “southern tongue.”

“He said there’s not a single thing, essentially a single policy that he disagrees with Trump on,” said Bottoms, who has a 7-point lead over Jackson in a new State Navigate Poll.

That’s not to say Bottoms hasn’t been on the defense. During the primary election, she faced criticism for her 2021 decision not to seek re-election after completing her one and only term as Atlanta mayor. Her critics argued that the decision could foretell a potential lack of commitment to the job of governor. At the time of her announcement, Bottoms explained that she wanted to spend more time with her family after a tumultuous term leading the city of Atlanta during the COVID-19 pandemic, which included, at times, violent protests amid the Black Lives Matter uprisings following the deaths of two Black men in Georgia and several others across the country.

Bottoms told theGrio she has no regrets about taking a break from politics and believes the choice to pause has made her better prepared to lead the state.

“I don’t regret that decision at all,” said Bottoms, who shared that her choice not to seek a second term was the “best decision” for her family and herself.

There was an even more personal reason for choosing to pause her political life.

“My dad died suddenly at 55. So that was always in the back of my mind. If I had four more years left on this earth, how would I feel about my time spent?” said Bottoms, who details her personal life in the memoir, “The Rough Side of the Mountain.”

“Sometimes, especially as Black women, we feel we’ve just got to keep going no matter if our bodies or our minds or our emotions tell us that maybe we need to step back,” she shared. Still, she added, “I wholeheartedly believe that decision is the reason that I know I can be governor of this state.”

Bottoms also argued that, despite her decision, she left Atlanta in good shape, including a $180 million surplus and expanded affordable housing.

“We had created a child savings account for our children. We had closed the largest public-private partnership in the history of the Southeastern United States. And I could probably give you 20 other accomplishments that we were able to achieve in a very difficult, unpredictable four years,” said the former mayor.

Looking ahead, Bottoms said she is prepared to lead with conviction, including confronting the Trump administration. If elected, it is almost inevitable that she will clash with the White House as it continues its aggressive immigration enforcement.

“I don’t think anybody disagrees about getting violent criminals off of our streets. But what he has done pretty much is everything but that. He’s targeted students. He’s targeted people who are going to work every day. He’s targeted mothers who were trying to pick their kids up from school,” said Bottoms.

The gubernatorial candidate said she intends to enforce state laws to reduce ICE’s targeting of immigrant communities in Georgia. She pointed to things like restrictive zoning on building private ICE detention centers and reevaluating state contracts with ICE.

“What ICE is doing continues to be a distraction when the real issue is making sure that we have an effective system that allows people to be legally protected, to go through the appropriate process when they are trying to receive legal status in this country,” said Bottoms.

Defending Georgia against an aggressive Trump administration will likely be felt most on the issue of voting. Since returning to the White House last year, Trump ordered the FBI to raid an elections office in Fulton County, where thousands of ballots were seized. The Trump administration has also sought to get the personal data of election workers in Georgia, likely as part of his years-long effort to prove his unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

“We’ve had election workers who’ve been threatened in this state. Their lives have been threatened. They have been villainized. People are saying they no longer wish to even work at the polls because of fear for their safety,” said Bottoms. “It is really indicative of the disruption that he’s brought to our democracy.”

Trump revived his election conspiracies in a primetime speech last night, in which he provided no credible evidence that would have changed the outcome of the election.

Bottoms said Trump’s fixation on Georgia and the seizing of ballots is less about 2020 and more about the 2026 elections and, perhaps, even the 2028 presidential election.

“This is a man who will do anything in his power to hold on to power,” she told theGrio. “As we celebrate the birth of this country, people have to remember…this country is something we’ve always had to fight for to maintain.”

Bottoms added, “It may not be perfect, but I believe it’s still worth fighting for, and part of fighting for our democracy means fighting to maintain the integrity and the sanctity of our right to vote.”