*Keisha Lance Bottoms not running for re-election, *Edited

[elleng]

Rachel reports.

In a stunning announcement Thursday night, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told supporters that she will not run for reelection this year.

Bottoms announced she will not seek a second term as Atlanta’s 60th mayor during a private call with friends, staffers and allies, according to two people who were on the call and several others who were told about it.

The mayor has scheduled a 10 a.m. press conference Friday at City Hall, though her office did not provide any details about the subject. A spokesperson for the mayor did not respond to requests for comment Thursday evening.

The move is a shocking reversal for Bottoms, a mayor with a rising national profile who had launched her reelection campaign and held a fundraising event featuring President Joe Biden. The decision creates a wide-open mayor’s race this year, and is likely to open the door for a slew of new candidates.

The March fundraiser with Biden, which was the first headlined by the president since taking office, raised over $500,000 for Bottoms’ reelection bid — a sign of her strong financial standing and national political connections.

https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/breaking-atlanta-mayor-keisha-lance-bottoms-wont-run-for-reelection/AOC6CO6TKRGXDLQAZ33XWE2OEQ/


(I'm concerned that it's due to bad personal news.)

[RandySF]

1. Whoa

Maybe Joe has her lined up for something in the Cabinet.

[elleng]

2. Maybe, more tomorrow.

AJC reported it first, I think.

[Blaukraut]

3. Maybe she's going to run for governor? n/t

[PoliticAverse]

7. What chance would she have against Stacey Abrams? n/t

[jimfields33]

4. I'm not liking this at all.

I don’t like to see open seats on the Democratic Party.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. It's a mayoral seat in Atlanta - it'll be won by a Democrat regardless.

[jimfields33]

6. You know what? Now I'm even more pissed off.

I thought her name looked familiar. But now that I know, I hate this news. I really thought she was great. I remember she was on tv daily awhile back chatting with reporters about something. She was awesome.

[Calista241]

10. She's being crucified for the rise in crime in Atlanta.

She's decidedly unpopular compared to Kasim Reed, our last mayor, who excoriated her in the AJC the other day.

Buckhead is attempting to form its own city, and taking a huge part of Atlanta's budget with it. Largely due to the rise in crime and a perception that Bottoms has restricted the police from enforcing laws. The street racing throughout the city on a nightly / weekly basis, and the complete lack of police response to this contributes to the perception that she is allowing crime to flourish to avoid any conflict between the police and minority communities.

[elleng]

11. 'Thanks' for the info.

[Hoyt]

15. I'm thinking that might be main reason. Although she's been high on popularity

polls, not sure she really has the energy to run again. It’s been a tough year for her, although almost everything is positive for city.

But it could be anything. Whatever it is, hope this is positive for her and City adapts. There have been GOPer type conservatives — not necessarily trumpsters — who have mounted competitive campaigns.

[jimfields33]

26. I'm sorry to hear that about her

I’m in Florida so I do keep up with Atlanta like I probably should at least for general awareness.

[CatWoman]

8. not neccesarily

in 2017 the district was redrawn and Emory University was absorbed by Atlanta.

So we shall see.

I felt funny about that then and do so now.

[Drunken Irishman]

20. There is absolutely no chance Atlanta votes in a Republican mayor.

The last non-Democratic mayor was in 1879.

[CatWoman]

22. the last few elections were won by extremely small margins

Atlanta Mayoral Race Poised to Move to a Recount

Dec. 6, 2017

ATLANTA — For the second time in eight years, the leadership of the South’s most influential city is likely to be settled after a recount.

Fewer than 800 votes separated Atlanta’s two candidates for mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mary Norwood, after officials tallied more than 92,000 ballots that were cast in a runoff election on Tuesday, according to preliminary returns. The margin was narrow enough that Ms. Norwood, seeking to become Atlanta’s first white mayor in more than 40 years, said she would ask for a recount once provisional and absentee ballots were counted this week.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/us/atlanta-mayor.html

[Drunken Irishman]

23. Mary Norwood is not a Republican.

And she lost.

Atlanta is not going to vote for a Republican. It's not going to happen. It's just not.

[CatWoman]

24. lol

my bad

lots of allergy medicine going on here

[RandySF]

13. But she was a staunch ally of Joe Biden and the national party.

[Drunken Irishman]

21. I was only replying to the concern this means an open Democratic seat.

There is no way a Democrat won't succeed her.

[joetheman]

9. My gut tells me she may be ill. I hope not. nt

[elleng]

12. Ditto

[Stinky The Clown]

16. When I read the headline I immediately thought about her having had Covid a while back

I'll wait until tomorrow to learn more.

I like her.

[bamagal62]

14. Strange. I love her.

I hope it means bigger and better things. I will also say, if crime has increased in Atlanta, it has not impacted the real estate. The home I lived in in Virginia Highland in 2015, that I bought 2 years earlier for 750,000 just sold for 1,200,000. And Zillow already has it for 1,500,000 4 months after it sold. The real estate market in Atlanta is crazy if you are in the city. So, it must not be that bad. I will say gunshots were part of our life there but we never felt unsafe.

[CatWoman]

17. you know who her Dad was?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Lance

[bamagal62]

18. Yes!

[krawhitham]

19. Her husband is a covid long-hauler

Maybe she wants time with the family

[W_HAMILTON]

25. Wasn't there early talk of her joining the Biden administration in some capacity?

Maybe the Biden administration still has plans for her and she is just wanting to serve out her term (rather than look like she was abandoning her city during a pandemic) and join them?