Keisha Lance Bottoms facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Keisha Lance Bottoms
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Bottoms in 2019
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| Director of the Office of Public Engagement | |
| In office July 1, 2022 – April 1, 2023 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Cedric Richmond |
| Succeeded by | Stephen K. Benjamin |
| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| In office July 1, 2022 – April 1, 2023 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Cedric Richmond |
| Succeeded by | Stephen K. Benjamin |
| 58th Mayor of Atlanta | |
| In office January 2, 2018 – January 3, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Kasim Reed |
| Succeeded by | Andre Dickens |
| Member of the Atlanta City Council from the 11th district |
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| In office January 4, 2010 – January 2, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Maddox |
| Succeeded by | Marci Collier Overstreet |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Keisha Lance
January 18, 1970 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Derek W. Bottoms
(m. 1994) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |
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| Relatives | Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson (aunt) |
| Education | Florida A&M University (BA) Georgia State University (JD) |
Keisha Lance Bottoms (born January 18, 1970) is an American lawyer and politician. She 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. This council represents a part of Southwest Atlanta.
Bottoms did not run for a second term as mayor. In June 2022, she joined the Biden administration. She worked as a senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. She served in this role until February 2023. Bottoms also served as a member of the President's Export Council.
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Early Life and Education
Bottoms was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 18, 1970. Her mother was Sylvia Robinson. Keisha grew up in Atlanta and graduated from Frederick Douglass High School.
She earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Florida A&M University. She focused on broadcast journalism. She then earned a law degree (J.D.) from Georgia State University College of Law in 1994. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
Early Career in Public Service
Bottoms started her career as a prosecutor. She also worked to help children in juvenile court. In 2002, she became a magistrate judge in Atlanta.
In 2009, Bottoms was elected to the Atlanta City Council. She represented District 11 in southwest Atlanta. She was re-elected in 2013 and served until 2017. At the same time, she was the executive director of the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority starting in 2015.
Mayor of Atlanta
Becoming Mayor
Bottoms was elected mayor of Atlanta in 2017. She won the most votes (26%) in a large group of candidates. She then won against fellow city council member Mary Norwood in a second election, called a runoff election. She is the sixth African American and the second African American woman to be mayor of Atlanta.
During her election campaign, some questions came up about how her campaign reported money. She chose to return some money she received from a company that was being investigated. She also asked for an investigation into fake phone calls made in her name.
Time as Mayor
Mayor Bottoms stated that Atlanta was a "welcoming city." She said it would "remain open and welcoming to all" people. This statement followed actions by then-president Donald Trump about refugees. In 2018, she signed an executive order. This order stopped the city jail from holding people detained by ICE. In July 2019, Bottoms said Atlanta did not support ICE.
In February 2020, Bottoms released Atlanta's first report on LGBTQ Affairs. This report looked at how city policies could improve the lives of LGBTQ Atlantans. In 2018, she created the city's first LGBTQ advisory board. In December 2020, she appointed the city's first director of LGBTQ Affairs.
Bottoms disagreed with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in April 2020. He announced that Georgia businesses would reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bottoms believed it was too early to reopen.
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When Atlanta experienced protests in 2020, Bottoms spoke about them. She encouraged people to vote. She said, "If you want change in America, go and register to vote." In June 2020, some Atlanta Police Department officers had concerns. Bottoms said that police morale was very low.
In July 2020, COVID-19 cases increased in Atlanta. Bottoms ordered people within the city limits to wear a face covering. However, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued an order that stopped local mask rules. He also filed a lawsuit against Bottoms. The lawsuit aimed to stop her order and prevent her from discussing it.
In May 2021, Bottoms announced she would not run for reelection. Her term as mayor ended in January 2022.
Role in the 2020 Presidential Election
In June 2019, Bottoms supported Joe Biden for president. After Biden said he would choose a woman as his running mate, Bottoms was mentioned as a possible choice. In June 2020, she was among his top choices.
Bottoms was a co-chair for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She also spoke at the event.
Biden Administration Role
After Biden's election, Bottoms was considered for a role in his cabinet. In January 2021, Biden nominated her for a four-year term. This role was vice chair of civic engagement and voter participation at the Democratic National Committee. Her job focused on protecting voting rights.
In June 2022, President Joe Biden chose Bottoms to lead the Office of Public Liaison. She replaced Cedric Richmond in this role. On February 27, 2023, it was announced that Stephen K. Benjamin would replace her in April 2023. On July 14, 2023, Biden appointed Bottoms to the President's Export Council. She left her position in the Biden administration in January 2025.
Future Political Plans
On April 4, 2025, Bottoms announced she would run for governor of Georgia in 2026. She is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election.
Personal Life
Keisha Lance Bottoms' family history goes back many generations. Her ancestor, Shepherd Peek, was a freedman. He may have served in the Georgia state legislature after the Civil War.
In October 1994, she married Derek W. Bottoms. They met while studying law at Georgia State University. They adopted their four children.
Her husband, Derek, is a vice president at The Home Depot. He joined the company in 2000. He has also served on the boards of several foundations.
Bottoms is a member of The Links. This is a social and service organization for prominent Black women. It was founded in 1946.
See also
In Spanish: Keisha Lance Bottoms para niños
- Joe Biden Supreme Court candidates
- List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
