ATLANTA — In a stunning announcement Thursday night, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told supporters that she will not run for re-election 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. news 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 re-election 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 more than $500,000 for Bottoms’ re-election bid — a sign of her strong financial standing and national political connections.
Although widely popular, Bottoms has received criticism over her handling of public safety following a rise in violent crime in the city.
“People are entitled to their opinions, but don’t ever question whether or not I care,” she said at a news conference this week focused on crime. “My love for this city is deeper than probably many others standing here because my family goes back 100 years in the city. So whether I am mayor of this city or not, I will do everything that I can possibly do to keep our communities safe.”
City Council President Felicia Moore and Dentons attorney Sharon Gay launched campaigns for mayor earlier this year, and Councilman Antonio Brown could also run.
Four years ago, 11 candidates vied to replace two-term Mayor Kasim Reed, a race that cost more than $10 million.
Rumors have swirled that Reed is considering running again for his old post. He said in an interview on KISS 104.1 FM radio last week that he was not planning to run, but it’s unclear if Bottoms’ announcement will change that decision.
Bottoms, who served on the City Council for eight years, was elected in 2017 in a razor-thin runoff against Mary Norwood.
Her national profile rose last year after she was seen as a possible contender to be Joe Biden’s vice presidential candidate. After his election, advisers said she was offered a Cabinet post, but turned it down to continue serving as mayor.
During her tenure, Bottoms heralded her administration’s work on social justice and affordable housing issues. Months into her term, City Hall was hit with a massive cyber attack, all while a federal corruption investigation into members of Reed’s administration widened.
Her term was also marked by the coronavirus pandemic and widespread protests over racism and police brutality. She received widespread praise for remarks she made last May after demonstrations turned violent in downtown Atlanta.
