A Courier Eco Latino Exclusive: A Conversation with Keisha Lance Bottoms, Candidate for Governor of Georgia

By Wane A. Hailes, Publisher, The Courier Eco Latino Newspaper
and Michael Soul, Program Director, Davis Broadcasting, Inc.

Georgia’s 60th Mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, visited Columbus as part of her campaign for governor. In an in-depth conversation inside the studios of Davis Broadcasting, she spoke candidly about her decision to run, her record as mayor, and her vision for the future of Georgia.

What follows is an edited Q&A.

Q: Madam Mayor, welcome to Columbus. What brings you back to the Fountain City?

Bottoms: It’s great to be back. I’m not a stranger to Columbus—I have a really good friend from here, and I have family in the area. Being here as a gubernatorial candidate makes it even more meaningful.

Q: Take us back to April, when you announced you were running for governor. What prompted that decision?

Bottoms: Honestly, it started the morning after the last presidential election. I prayed about what God would have me do in this season. After a lot of prayer, reflection, and conversations, I felt called to offer myself as a candidate for governor.

I served as mayor of Atlanta during three years of the first Trump administration. I know how difficult that time was for so many Georgians. I also know what it takes to fight back against policies that harm everyday people. This isn’t a role to step into lightly, but I am resolute about standing up for the people of Georgia and helping make life better for families across this state.

Q: For Georgians who may not know you outside of Atlanta, what would you highlight about your leadership experience and vision for the state?

Bottoms: I’m a battle-tested leader. During my time as mayor, we endured the pandemic, a national racial-injustice reckoning, and severe economic hardship. Even in that climate, we delivered.

We created a citywide savings account for every kindergartener so they’ll have money waiting when they graduate high school. We invested in job-training pipelines for six-figure careers—airline mechanics, utility linemen, and more. We put $28 million into an affordable housing trust fund, created and preserved 7,000 units, and helped families offset rising property taxes.

We raised city employee wages to a $15 minimum. We provided sanitation workers with $500 monthly hazard pay during the pandemic. We gave historic raises to public safety employees. And even after all that, we left $180 million in city reserves—without raising property taxes.

These are real, tangible accomplishments in the state’s capital city. And they reflect the needs I hear across Georgia every day.

As governor, I’m proposing to eliminate state income taxes for teachers, make community and technical colleges tuition-free, expand mental-health services, strengthen support for caregivers, and address affordable housing statewide.

If I could lead Atlanta through the most challenging period in recent memory, I know I can lead Georgia forward.

Q: How would Georgia look different if you were elected governor?

Bottoms: First, we would finally expand Medicaid. Georgia has refused to expand it, and the consequences have been devastating—especially in rural communities. Hospitals have closed. People are driving an hour or more for primary care. More than 300,000 Georgians lack health insurance because we didn’t expand Medicaid. That changes under my leadership.

We would also make community and technical colleges free, strengthen affordable housing efforts statewide, expand access to capital for small businesses, and ensure opportunity reaches people who have traditionally been shut out.

Nearly half of Georgians work for small businesses. Folks shouldn’t need political connections to succeed. We’ll level the playing field.

Q: What are you hearing from Georgians as you travel across the state about the needs in their communities?

Bottoms: No matter the ZIP code—Columbus, College Park, rural counties—the concerns are the same.

People want safe, thriving communities. They want their children to be able to afford homes. They want to keep up with rising rent. They need opportunities to retrain for good-paying jobs. They want teachers supported and retained. They need affordable mental-health services. And caregivers—who hold our communities together—need help, too.

The challenges are universal, and so are the hopes.

Q: How can Georgians learn more about your campaign or get involved?

Bottoms: Visit KeishaForGovernor.com. You can learn about my platform, volunteer, or request a yard sign.

Q: Georgia has been at the center of national debates over voter suppression, access, and political power. What concrete steps would you take as governor to protect voting rights and expand access—especially for Black and Brown communities?

Bottoms: The governor of Georgia is one of the most powerful governors in the country, largely because of the line-item veto. And next year, voters will also elect a Secretary of State.

Many of the policies restricting voting access come from the legislature and the Secretary of State’s office. That’s why it matters who sits in the governor’s chair—because the governor can veto harmful bills and influence lawmakers.

We’ve seen a slow erosion of voting rights: reducing early-voting windows, removing drop boxes, purging 500,000 people from voter rolls. These actions don’t only affect Black and Brown voters—they hurt everyone.

As governor, I would fight for fair access, stronger protections, and policies that expand—not restrict—participation in our democracy.

Q: Much policy conversation focuses on urban areas, but many Black and Brown Georgians live in rural towns. How will your administration ensure rural Georgia—across race and class—is included?

Bottoms: I’ve met with farmers and rural business owners across the state. Some are part of large agricultural operations; others are maintaining family farms that have been in their families for generations. All deserve support.

Agriculture is Georgia’s No. 1 industry. But rural communities are struggling because young people are leaving, opportunities are limited, and investment is uneven.

We must bring economic development to rural Georgia, expand healthcare access, support small and family farms, and make rural communities attractive for the next generation. I’ll be the governor of all Georgians—rural, urban, Black, Brown, white, everyone.

Closing Thoughts

Bottoms: Thank you both. It’s been an honor. Columbus has always shown me love, and I’m grateful for this conversation and the chance to share my vision with the people of Georgia.