From AJC.com….
In a stunning announcement Thursday night, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she will not run for reelection this year.
Bottoms announced she will not seek a second term 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. She released a statement and video around 10:30 p.m. elaborating on her decision and her record as Atlanta’s 60th mayor.
“As (husband) Derek and I have given thoughtful prayer and consideration to the season now before us, it is with deep emotions that I hold my head high, and choose not to seek another term as mayor,” said Bottoms, who has scheduled a 10 a.m. press conference Friday at City Hall.
https://t.co/4yHFpvnVre pic.twitter.com/b7IJEIyojq
— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) May 7, 2021
The move is a shocking reversal for Bottoms, a mayor with a rising national profile who had launched her reelection 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.
