Keisha Lance Bottoms Receives Unwelcome Surprise Down the Homestretch of Gubernatorial Campaign

With Election Day being next Tuesday, November 3, the last thing any candidate for public office wants to see - especially in a high-profile race - is negative press, especially when it comes from an unexpected source they likely trusted.

The Georgia gubernatorial contest has been one to watch, with polls consistently showing a neck-and-neck race over the last several weeks, but with GOP nominee Rick Jackson seeming to have momentum tipping in his direction despite the headwinds that typically hit the party in power in midterm election-year cycles.

As we've reported, Jackson's entire general election campaign has been laser-focused on portraying his opponent, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, as someone who was a dismal failure as mayor of Atlanta and who would bring the same disastrous approach to the Peach State if elected governor. He's also relentlessly characterized her as a quitter who abandoned Atlanta after her one term in office, saying in so many words that when the going got tough, Bottoms cut and ran.

Georgia-based news outlets and RedState aren't the only ones who've noticed how this calculated approach has paid off for Jackson, a relative newcomer to politics. The New York Times has, too, and it dropped a story on the former mayor midweek that she undoubtedly wished stayed buried:

Even the New York Times is writing about how Atlanta descended into chaos under Keisha Lane Bottoms and then she just walked away. That's not the kind of leadership Georgia needs for the next four years! P.S. Don't forget that today is the last day to vote early! https://t.co/yIUOBUOO8W

— Lehman Franklin (@FranklinforRep) October 30, 2026

Though it wasn't what I would describe as a hit piece, it didn't try to play down Jackson's criticisms of Bottoms, either, outside of giving a nod to how crime rose in blue cities in particular during the COVID pandemic, to the extent that it caused some mayors to not run for reelection and others who did to lose their jobs in the process:

As protests touched off by the murder of George Floyd led to demonstrators in Atlanta burning police vehicles and vandalizing downtown businesses, Ms. Bottoms was catapulted to national prominence for her response. In one defining speech, she acknowledged the generations of resentments that were boiling over while condemning the people causing chaos and destruction. “If you care about this city, then go home,” she said, her voice strained but forceful.

[...]

But the luster started to wear quickly as the city’s problems intensified.

Not long after the first wave of protests, a Black man named Rayshard Brooks was fatally shot by an Atlanta police officer in a fast-food drive-through. Unruly crowds took over the area around the restaurant, which officials said arsonists had burned down. A man armed with an AR-15-style rifle also opened fire on a vehicle, killing an 8-year-old passenger, Secoriea Turner.

Efforts to punish the officer who shot Mr. Brooks backfired; a criminal case against him collapsed, a civil service board overruled his firing, and the rank-and-file inside the Police Department were demoralized.

As for Jackson, he's spending the final days of the campaign hammering home the message that "Bad mayors do not make good governors," and that Georgia's best and brightest days would be ahead for the state and its people if he's elected governor.

Something else's he's leaning on? A message similar to what we saw from Donald Trump in his 2016 campaign: the fact that he's an outsider who doesn't need the money, nor the stress, pressures, and headaches that come from being in elected office, and that he chose to run only because he wants to serve the people:

The insiders didn’t pick me. The establishment didn’t choose me. I don’t care about the title and I don’t need the money. I don’t owe anybody, anything – except YOU. It all comes down to the next 4 days, and today’s the last day to VOTE EARLY, Georgia. Find your polling place: https://t.co/YWvOq6SbBG

— Rick Jackson (@RickJacksonGA) October 30, 2026

And if you don't vote early, stand in line at the polls on Election Day for as long as it takes. Because Georgia deserves good leadership, and it appears as though Jackson is more than up to the task.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.