Atlanta’s Mayor announced Thursday night that she will not run for a second term.
“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,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) said in a letter published Thursday.
She did not announce what she plans to do next, though several reports say she has taken an unspecified position with pharmacy giant Walgreens.
“While I am not yet certain of what the future holds, I trust that my next season will continue to be one full of passion and purpose, guided by the belief that within each of us is the power and responsibility to make a positive difference in the lives of others,” the letter said.
The announcement is a surprising one from Lance Bottoms, once considered a rising star in the Democrat Party. There was even discussion during the summer of 2020 that then-candidate Joe Biden would select her to be his running mate.
Lance Bottoms held a press conference Friday morning, where she made her official announcement.
“In the same way that it was very clear to me almost five years ago that I should run for mayor of Atlanta, it is abundantly clear to me today that it is time to pass the baton on to someone else,” she said. “This has been the highest honor, to serve as mayor of this city.”
Her letter made it clear that the decision was not based on an inability to fundraise, or fear that she would lose a reelection bid.
She committed to serving the city through the end of her term, which ends at the beginning of next year. The mayoral election will be held on November 2.
“As I have done each day over the many years in which I have served in public office, through the remainder of my term, I will make every decision, keeping what is best for our communities top of mind, and will continue to work diligently to improve the lives of those in our city,” the letter said.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to dabroscareports@gmail.com.
Photo “Keisha Lance Bottoms” by Keisha Lance Bottoms.