Photo Courtesy of WFXR
On May 6, Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms confirmed in a letter posted to her Twitter account that she will not be running for re-election this upcoming fall.
https://t.co/4yHFpvnVre pic.twitter.com/b7IJEIyojq
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) May 7, 2021
In her letter, Bottoms reflects on the highs and lows of her time as mayor, highlighting her accomplishments in jobs, housing, public safety, and redevelopment and thanked Atlanta residents and her supporters.
Bottoms said she and her husband “have given thoughtful prayer and consideration” to their next step and have decided not to seek another term.
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“It is with deep emotions that I hold my head high and choose not to seek another term as Mayor,” she wrote.
According to NBC News, she spoke in a conference on May 7 but did not address what’s in store for her next.
“I don’t know what’s next for me personally and for my family,” she said. “But what I do know is that this is a decision made from a position of strength and not weakness.”
Bottoms expressed that her choice not to run for re-election was a “very difficult decision” and said that there was no single thing that led her to it.
“In the same way that it was clear to me five years ago I should run, it is abundantly clear to me today that it’s time to pass the baton on to someone else,” she said.
Bottoms mayoral term is officially over in January 2022. Despite this, she denied any rumors of her not running for re-election for fear of losing.
“I’ve raised the money. I had the most successful fundraiser of any mayor in the history of this city with President Biden,” she said.
Bottoms planned to serve through the end of her term.
“I have engaged in several elections, facing multiple candidates, and never once have I cowarded from the competition,” she said. “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.”
She added, “For our country, it means working to advance the agenda of the Biden-Harris Administration.