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Keisha Lance Bottoms

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Keisha Lance Bottoms
Director of the Office of Public Engagement
In office
July 1, 2022 – April 1, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byCedric Richmond
Adrian Saenz (Acting)
Succeeded byStephen K. Benjamin
Senior Advisor to the President
In office
July 1, 2022 – April 1, 2023
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byCedric Richmond
Succeeded byStephen K. Benjamin
60th Mayor of Atlanta
In office
January 2, 2018 – January 3, 2022
Preceded byKasim Reed
Succeeded byAndre Dickens
Member of the Atlanta City Council
from the 11th district
In office
January 4, 2010 – January 2, 2018
Preceded byJim Maddox
Succeeded byMarci Collier Overstreet
Personal details
Born
Keisha Lance

(1970-01-18) January 18, 1970 (age 54)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Derek W. Bottoms
​
(m. 1994)​
Children4
RelativesMajor Lance (father), Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson (aunt)
EducationFlorida A&M University (BA)
Georgia State University (JD)
WebsiteOfficial website

Keisha Lance Bottoms (née Lance; born January 18, 1970)[1] is an American attorney and politician who served as the 60th mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, from 2018 to 2022. She was elected mayor in 2017. Before becoming mayor, she was a member of the Atlanta City Council, representing part of Southwest Atlanta.[2] Bottoms did not run for a second term as mayor. President Joe Biden nominated Bottoms as vice chair of civic engagement and voter protection at the DNC for the 2021–2025 term.[3] In June 2022, Bottoms joined the Biden administration as senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement[4] where she served until February 2023. Bottoms currently serves as a member of the President's Export Council.[5]

Early life and education

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Bottoms was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 18, 1970, to Sylvia Robinson (not to be confused with the singer/songwriter and co-founder of All Platinum Records and Sugar Hill Records) and R&B singer-songwriter Major Lance.[6][7] She was raised in Atlanta[8] and is a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School.[9]

She earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Florida A&M University, concentrating in broadcast journalism.[10][11] She earned a J.D. degree from Georgia State University College of Law in 1994. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.[9][11][12]

Early career

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Bottoms was a prosecutor and also represented children in juvenile court.[11][13] In 2002, she became a magistrate judge in Atlanta.[14][13] In 2008, she ran unsuccessfully for a judgeship on the Fulton Superior Court.[10][13][14]

Bottoms was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 2009 and 2013, representing District 11 in southwest Atlanta. She served until 2017. She was concurrently the executive director of Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority starting in 2015.[11]

Mayor of Atlanta

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Election

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Main article: 2017 Atlanta mayoral election

Bottoms was elected mayor of Atlanta in 2017, after receiving a plurality of votes (26%) in a crowded field of candidates on election day, then defeating fellow city council member Mary Norwood in the runoff election.[15][16] She is the sixth African American and the second African American woman to serve as mayor of Atlanta.

Bottoms was investigated during the mayoral election for several lump payments to campaign staff totaling more than $180,000 that were not reported properly.[17] In October 2017, she voluntarily returned $25,700 in campaign contributions she had received from PRAD Group, an engineering contractor whose office had been raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation the previous month.[18] On November 4, 2017, she called on the attorney general of Georgia to investigate fake robocalls made in her name.[19]

Tenure

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Bottoms declared that Atlanta was a "welcoming city" and "will remain open and welcoming to all" following then-president Donald Trump's actions regarding refugees in the United States.[20] In 2018, she signed an executive order forbidding the city jail to hold ICE detainees.[21] In July 2019, Bottoms said, "Our city does not support ICE. We don't have a relationship with the U.S. Marshal[s] Service. We closed our detention center to ICE detainees, and we would not pick up people on an immigration violation."[22]

In February 2020, Bottoms released Atlanta's first LGBTQ Affairs report that focused on how various policies, initiatives, and programs can improve the lives of LGBTQ Atlantans.[23][24] In 2018, she had created the city's first LGBTQ advisory board, which included entertainer Miss Lawrence and activist Feroza Syed. In December 2020, Bottoms appointed the city's first director of LGBTQ Affairs, Malik Brown, and announced the continued LGBTQ advisory board leadership.[25][26]

Bottoms strongly rebuked Georgia Governor Brian Kemp after he announced the reopening of Georgia businesses in April 2020, saying that it was too early in the COVID-19 pandemic.[27]

Mayor Bottoms at Atlanta City Hall in March 2019

When Atlanta experienced riots in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Bottoms condemned those involved,[28][29] but later expressed optimism while speaking to demonstrators at a protest, saying, "There is something better on the other side of this."[30] She also repeatedly condemned Trump for "making it worse" and stoking racial tensions,[30][31] and encouraged people to vote, saying, "If you want change in America, go and register to vote. That is the change we need in this country."[32] In June 2020, many Atlanta Police Department officers went on strike to protest the charges brought against the officers involved in the killing of Rayshard Brooks.[33] Bottoms said that APD morale "is down tenfold".[34]

In early July 2020, as COVID-19 cases escalated in Atlanta, Bottoms issued an executive order rolling back some of its reopening measures from Phase 2 to Phase 1 and requiring everyone within the city limits to wear a facial covering, but no citations enforcing it were issued.[35] On July 15, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued an order suspending all local mask mandates, and on July 16 he filed suit against Bottoms in Superior Court, seeking to invalidate her order and prevent her from talking about it.[36] He did not file similar suits against other Georgia cities with mask mandates, such as Savannah and Athens.[37] A hearing scheduled for July 21 was postponed when the judge recused herself.[38]

In May 2021, Bottoms announced she would not run for reelection in the 2021 Atlanta mayoral election.[39]

2020 presidential election

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Mayor Bottoms meeting with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Asian-American community leaders following the 2021 Atlanta spa shootings

In June 2019, Bottoms endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[40] After Biden promised during a March 2020 CNN debate to choose a woman as his running mate, Politico reported her as a possible pick.[41] In June, CNN reported that Bottoms was among his top four choices, along with Representative Val Demings and Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren.[42] Harris was officially announced as Biden's running mate on August 11, 2020.

Bottoms was named a permanent co-chair of the 2020 Democratic National Convention,[43] at which she was featured as a speaker.[44]

Biden administration

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Bottoms (third from right) with Biden (center) in 2023

After Biden's election, Bottoms was mentioned as a possible candidate for United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.[45] In January 2021, Biden and Harris nominated Bottoms for a four-year term as the vice chair of civic engagement and voter participation at the Democratic National Committee, a role focused on protecting voting rights and expanding voter participation.[46]

In June 2022, it was announced that President Joe Biden had picked Bottoms to replace Cedric Richmond as the director of the Office of Public Liaison.[47] On February 27, 2023, it was announced that Bottoms would be replaced by Stephen K. Benjamin in April 2023. On July 14, 2023, Biden appointed Bottoms to the President's Export Council.[48]

Personal life

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Bottoms' family history can be traced back five generations to Shepherd Peek, a freedman from a plantation near Crawfordville, who may have served in the Georgia state legislature during Reconstruction.[10][13]

In October 1994, she married Derek W. Bottoms at Ben Hill United Methodist Church in Atlanta. They met three years earlier during their first year as students at Georgia State University College of Law. After unsuccessful attempts to conceive biologically, they adopted their four children.[49]

Her husband is the vice president of employment practices and associate relations for The Home Depot. He joined the company in 2000, after spending more than five years at the law firm of Powell Goldstein. He has served as a board member for several foundations.[49]

Bottoms was invited to become a member of The Links, a social and service organization of prominent Black women that was founded in 1946 and is based in Washington, D.C.[50]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Atlanta City Council - Regular Meeting - Jan 19, 2016" (PDF). atlantaga.gov. p. 73. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
  2. ^ "Class Actions". College of Law. April 8, 2010. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  3. ^ Thomas, Ken (January 15, 2021). "Biden Taps Jaime Harrison, Former Senate Candidate, to Lead DNC". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021 – via www.wsj.com.
  4. ^ McCammond, Alexi (June 15, 2022). "Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to join Biden White House". Axios. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "President Biden Announces Key Appointments to Boards and Commissions". The White House. July 14, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  6. ^ "Keisha Lance Bottoms". Keisha Lance Bottoms. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  7. ^ Jim Galloway, Political Insider. "Politics, parents and candidates with sabotaged childhoods". ajc. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  8. ^ Shah, Khushbu (May 17, 2020). "Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on the Arbery killing and Biden's vice-president pick". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Keisha Lance Bottoms for Atlanta Mayor". Keisha Lance Bottoms. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Goldberg, Melissa (June 9, 2020). "Everything You Need to Know About Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms". Oprah Magazine. Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d "Who is Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  12. ^ "Mayor Bottoms (J.D. '94): 'Georgia State Helped Create a Work Ethic In Me'". Georgia State University News Hub. Atlanta, Georgia: Georgia State University. March 1, 2018. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d "2020 Georgian of the Year: Keisha Lance Bottoms". Georgia Trend Magazine. January 1, 2020. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Wheatley, Thomas (May 23, 2019). "Keisha's no Kasim: Inside Bottoms's very different City Hall". Atlanta Magazine. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  15. ^ "Bottoms, Norwood in runoff for Atlanta mayor". WAGA Fox 5. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  16. ^ Gehlbach, Steve (December 21, 2017). "Mary Norwood concedes defeat in Atlanta mayoral race". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  17. ^ Deere, Stephen; Klepal, Dan. "Atlanta mayoral race: Bottoms campaign disclosures under scrutiny". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  18. ^ "Atlanta mayoral candidate to return donation from embattled contractor". myajc. October 2, 2017. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  19. ^ "Lance Bottoms calls on Attorney General to investigate fake robocalls days ahead of election". WXIA. November 4, 2017. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  20. ^ "As Trump enacts ban on refugees, Atlanta doubles down as a 'welcoming city'". SaportaReport. January 30, 2017. Archived from the original on April 16, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  21. ^ "Mayor signs executive order to remove ICE detainees from city jail". WSB-TV. September 6, 2018. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  22. ^ "U.S. Cities Prepare for Planned ICE Raids". NPR. July 13, 2019. Archived from the original on September 5, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  23. ^ "City of Atlanta, Atlanta: LGBTQ Resources" (PDF). atlgbtq.atlantaga.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  24. ^ "Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms launches city's first report on LGBTQ affairs | The Atlanta Voice". The Atlanta Voice | Atlanta GA News. February 4, 2020. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  25. ^ "Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announces establishment of LGBTQ advisory board". Atlanta Voice. May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  26. ^ Latimore, Marshall (November 21, 2020). "Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appoints new director for LGBTQ Affairs, assembles LGBTQ advisory board". Atlanta Voice. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  27. ^ Rahman, Khaleda (April 28, 2020). "Atlanta mayor rebukes Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp for opening businesses: 'We can't sit by...while people die'". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 30, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  28. ^ "Mayor, police chief denounce 'anarchists' and 'terrorists' who destroyed city; curfew begins at 9 p.m." Atlanta INtown. May 30, 2020. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  29. ^ Seipel, Brooke (May 29, 2020). "Atlanta mayor condemns violent protests in fiery speech: 'If you love this city go home'". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  30. ^ a b Cole, Devan (June 5, 2020). "Atlanta mayor to George Floyd protesters: 'There is something better on the other side of this'". CNN. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  31. ^ Duster, Chandelis. "Atlanta mayor on Trump: He should just stop talking". CNN. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  32. ^ Cohen, Seth. "Atlanta's Keisha Lance Bottoms Is the Mayor and Mother America Needs Right Now". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  33. ^ Brumback, Kate (June 18, 2020). "Atlanta police call out sick to protest charges in shooting". AP News. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020.
  34. ^ "Atlanta police department morale "is down ten-fold," Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says". CBS News. June 18, 2020. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  35. ^ Journal-Constitution, Alexis Stevens-The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionGreg Bluestein- The Atlanta. "Georgia police departments report zero citations for face mask violations". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  36. ^ Stracqualursi, Veronica; LeBlanc, Paul (July 16, 2020). "Georgia governor sues Atlanta mayor over city's mask mandate". CNN. Archived from the original on July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  37. ^ Carlisle, Madeleine (July 18, 2020). "Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Sued to Block Atlanta's Face Mask Ordinance. Here's What to Know". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  38. ^ "Judge recuses herself, hearing canceled in Kemp v. Bottoms Atlanta mask mandate lawsuit". 11 Alive. Associated Press. July 21, 2020. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  39. ^ Capelouto, J. D. (May 6, 2021). "Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won't run for reelection". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  40. ^ Branigin, Anne (June 29, 2019). "Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Endorses Joe Biden for President". The Root. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  41. ^ "Biden squeezed on his most critical decision: His VP pick". Politico. March 17, 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  42. ^ Zeleny, Jeff; Merica, Dan; Lee, MJ (June 26, 2020). "Nation's reckoning on race looms large over final month of Biden's running mate search". CNN. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  43. ^ "Democratic National Convention Announces 2020 Convention Officers, Schedule of Events". 2020 Democratic National Convention. July 30, 2020. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  44. ^ "Democrats Announce Additional Speakers and Schedule Updates for 2020 Democratic National Convention: "Uniting America"". 2020 Democratic National Convention. August 11, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  45. ^ "Who Are Contenders for Biden's Cabinet?". The New York Times. November 11, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  46. ^ McCarthy, Mia (February 27, 2023). "Former South Carolina mayor replaces Bottoms at White House Office of Public Engagement". Politico. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  47. ^ Lizza, Ryan; Daniels, Eugene (June 15, 2022). "POLITICO Playbook: Top takeaways from last night's big primaries". POLITICO. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  48. ^ "Ex-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appointed to Biden's Export Council". WAGA-TV. July 17, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  49. ^ a b Godwin, Becca J. G. "Who is Derek Bottoms, husband of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  50. ^ "Keisha Lance Bottoms sworn in as Atlanta mayor". WTXL. January 3, 2018. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
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Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Atlanta
2018–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Director of the Office of Public Engagement
2022–2023 		Succeeded by
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