Story by: Kendall Kylls
Late Thursday night (May 6) Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms made the shocking announcement that she would not be seeking reelection in 2021.
The news was especially surprising considering Bottoms announced at the top of 2020 that she would be seeking a second term, and just in March, she held a virtual fundraiser with Joe Biden where she raised over $500,000 for her campaign.
The following morning, the mayor held a press conference at city hall where she explained her decision, and opened up to the press a lot more than she usually does. Here are 11 thing we learned from her latest press conference:
1. This was an emotional decision for Bottoms
At the start of the press conference, Mayor Bottoms had to take a moment to gather her emotions. "For God sake don't have an ugly cry," she said.
2. She's not leaving the city to work for Walgreens
Rumors began to swirl that Mayor Bottoms' husband was offered a job at Walgreens and that's why she wasn't running again. She immediately confirmed that this was not the case.
3. She's confident she would've won if she stayed in the race
Mayor Bottoms stated that she's still polling well in Atlanta, and made it clear that she's not dropping out out of fear of losing. "If the race for mayor were held today, I would win this race without a run-off," she said.
4. Bottoms doesn't see another candidate fit to be Mayor
Mayor Bottoms was offered a Cabinet position in Joe Biden's administration back in December, but says she didn't take it because she didn't know anyone who could step up and be the mayor that Atlanta needs.
5. Officer Rolfe being reinstated had nothing to do with her decision
On Wednesday (May 5) the Atlanta Civil Service Board announced that Officer Garrett Rolfe, the policeman who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy's parking lot last year, will be reinstated to the Atlanta Police Department because he "wasn't afforded his right to due process.” Mayor Bottoms said that she disagrees with the Board's ruling, and she stands by her decision to immediately fire him. "I firmly believe, had I not made that decision, this city would've seen much worse," she said.
6. Bottoms still wants the city jail closed and reimagined
Mayor Bottoms said that she will continue to advocate for the closing of the Atlanta City Detention Center, and hopes that she can get a closure date on the books before her time in office is up. "I still believe that the systemic issues that are leading to people making poor decisions, has everything to do with us not having the ability to offer people resources," she said.
7. She has been questioning if she'd run again since her first year in office
8. She will endorse a mayoral candidate at some point
Mayor Bottoms said that she knows that she cannot pick her successor, but she will make it known who she's voting for "at the appropriate time."
9. The pressure of being Mayor did not impact her decision
Local politicians have had to contend with a lot these past couple of years...from a global pandemic, to Trump shenanigans, to a civil uprising due to police brutality. However, Bottoms maintains that these pressures did not impact her decision to drop out of the race.
10. The delay in her decision came from guilt
The most shocking part of Mayor Bottoms' announcement was the timing of it (just 6 months before the election). But she said the delay came from guilt. She questioned if she was doing the city harm by not running again. She's hoping that by dropping out now, she's giving enough time for a grassroots candidate to organize.
11. A future position at the White House is a possibility
Mayor Bottoms was never direct about what her future plans are. However, when asked if she was interested in a role in the Biden administration, she responded with a simple, "We'll see."