Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is announcing Tuesday that she is entering the race for Georgia governor in 2026, the second Democrat to declare a run for the state’s top job.

Bottoms served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022, but after a controversial first term decided against seeking reelection. Bottoms would later become a senior advisor to former President Joe Biden.

Bottoms said Monday that she was prepared for the role of governor after achieving historic pay raises for Atlanta police officers and firefighters and ensuring the vitality of small businesses, especially during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

During her tenure as mayor, Bottoms faced several crises, from the pandemic to a citywide cyberattack.

She came under withering attack for her handling of protests aft

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