Keisha Lance Bottoms
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Keisha Lance Bottoms | |
|---|---|
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| 60th Mayor of Atlanta | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Kasim Reed |
| Member of the Atlanta City Council from the 11th district | |
| In office January 4, 2010 – January 2, 2018 | |
| 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(s) | Derek Bottoms |
| Children | 4 |
| Father | Major Lance |
| Education | Florida A&M University (BA) Georgia State University (JD) |
| Website | Official website |
Keisha Lance Bottoms (born January 18, 1970)[1] is an American politician and lawyer who is the 60th and current Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. She was elected mayor in 2017. Prior to becoming mayor, she was a member of the Atlanta City Council, representing part of Southwest Atlanta.[2]
Early life and education
Bottoms's father was R&B singer-songwriter Major Lance.[3]
Bottoms is a graduate of Frederick Douglass High School, Florida A&M University, and Georgia State University College of Law.[4]
Career
She was elected as mayor 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 subsequent runoff election.[5][6]
Bottoms was investigated during the mayoral election for several lump payments to campaign staff totaling over $180,000 that were not properly reported according to state law.[7] 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.[8] On November 4, 2017, she called on the Attorney General of Georgia to investigate fake robocalls made in her name, which her campaign said were laden with racist overtones and were made primarily in white neighborhoods of Atlanta.[9]
The Atlanta Mayor declared the city was a “welcoming city” and “will remain open and welcoming to all” following President Trump's actions regarding refugees.[10] 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."[11]
In June 2019, Bottoms announced her endorsement of Joe Biden in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[12] In March 2020, Politico reported her as a possible Vice Presidential pick for Biden.[13]
See also
References
- ^ "Atlanta City Council - Regular Meeting - Jan 19, 2016" (PDF). atlantaga.gov. p. 73. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
- ^ "Class Actions". College of Law. April 8, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ "Keisha Lance Bottoms". Keisha Lance Bottoms. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
- ^ "Keisha Lance Bottoms for Atlanta Mayor". Keisha Lance Bottoms. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ^ FOX. "Bottoms, Norwood in runoff for Atlanta mayor". WAGA. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
- ^ Gehlbach, Steve (December 21, 2017). "Mary Norwood concedes defeat in Atlanta mayoral race". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ Deere, Stephen; Klepal, Dan. "Atlanta mayoral race: Bottoms campaign disclosures under scrutiny". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ^ "Atlanta mayoral candidate to return donation from embattled contractor". myajc. October 2, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ "Lance Bottoms calls on Attorney General to investigate fake robocalls days ahead of election". WXIA. November 4, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ "As Trump enacts ban on refugees, Atlanta doubles down as a 'welcoming city' – SaportaReport". January 30, 2017.
- ^ "U.S. Cities Prepare For Planned ICE Raids". NPR. July 13, 2019.
- ^ Branigin, Anne (June 29, 2019). "Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Endorses Joe Biden for President". The Root. G/O Media. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
- ^ "Biden squeezed on his most critical decision: His VP pick". Politico. March 17, 2020.
External links
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Kasim Reed |
Mayor of Atlanta 2018–present |
Incumbent |
Mayors of cities with populations exceeding 100,000 in Georgia | ||
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