Former President Joe Biden gave his first post-presidency endorsement, urging Georgians to vote for Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
In a video posted on social media, Biden sang Bottoms’s praises, saying he’d “known her for a long time” and that she is “something special.” Bottoms served in the Biden administration as a senior adviser.
“As mayor of Atlanta, Keisha faced every challenge a leader could face, and then some: a global pandemic, a major cyberattack on the city system, economic uncertainty that tested every community across Georgia,” Biden said. “But she handled the law with steady, thoughtful leadership. That’s the definition of battle-tested cases.”
He singled out her time in his administration, saying, “Those same qualities that made her a great mayor made her invaluable to our administration, smart, focused, gets things done.”
“Georgia, she’s ready. She’s been ready,” Biden said. “Now I’m proud to be in her corner, just like she was in mine. Let’s get this thing done.”
After being widely blamed within his own party for Democrats’ crushing defeats in the 2024 elections, Biden has largely stayed out of the national spotlight. Many Democratic analysts treated him as politically radioactive, preventing him from making any public political endorsements.
While assessments of Biden’s presidency haven’t changed, a sense of momentum behind Democrats has made them more confident about taking on riskier political maneuvers.
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Lance Bottoms is heavily favored to win the Democratic nomination. An Insider Advantage poll of 800 likely voters surveyed between April 28 and 29 had Lance Bottoms at 52%, leagues ahead of her closest rival, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond, at 16%.
The Republican primary is much closer and likely to head to a runoff. Republican billionaire Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R-GA) had 28% and 24% in the same poll.