Bottoms, who made history with the most successful single fundraiser of any one mayor in Atlanta history, tweeted out a link to a letter addressed “Dear Atlanta” explaining her news and her choice not to seek re-election.
In the letter, she addresses the possible question, “What does this mean for the Atlanta Mayor’s race?” And answers: “It is my sincere hope that over the next several months, a candidate for Mayor will emerge whom the people of Atlanta may entrust to lead our beloved city to its next and best chapter.”
The future of the Atlanta mayor’s office is only one of many uncertainties left unanswered by this surprise announcement. And while Bottoms’ letter anticipates and addresses many of them, there is no clear answer for the most glaring question of all: why is Bottoms stepping aside now?
Just this past March, Bottoms held a fundraiser with President Biden which raised a record-breaking figure of over $500,000 for her re-election campaign which she had already launched. This was not her first brush with the president’s inner circle. In June of last year, CNN reported that Bottoms had made it to the final four women under consideration for then-candidate Biden’s running mate pick. She even confirmed to CNN’s Jake Tapper that she would be ready to be step up and be president.
Felicia A. Moore, President of the Atlanta City Council, had already declared herself a challenger to Bottoms’ seat. And there were a handful of other undeclared presumed challengers. The news that Bottoms will not seek re-election will mean an unexpected re-shuffling of the landscape of the 2021 Atlanta mayoral race landscape.
It is unclear whether Bottoms has decided not to seek re-election in order to pursue another political office. Though she does ambiguously address the question in her letter to Atlanta, she does not give a definitive answer.
“While I am not yet certain of what the future holds, I trust that my next season will continue to be one full of passion and purpose, guided by the belief that within each of us is the power and responsibility to make a positive difference in the lives of others,” Bottoms wrote.
The Atlanta mayor, who was elected in 2017, rose to national prominence in the midst of the first wave of George Floyd protests. She appeared on national television to decry the group of protesters who were destroying property who she deemed “chaotic,” saying, “It’s enough. We are all angry. This hurts. This hurts everybody in this room. But what are you changing by tearing up a city?” Bottoms was widely praised for this point of view by some voters.
The mayor’s office has scheduled a press conference for Friday morning at 10 a.m. at Atlanta City Hall.
Newsweek reached out to Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for comment and will update this story with any response.
