Keisha Lance Bottoms avoids runoff to win Georgia Democratic governor primary, CBS News projects

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has avoided a runoff and will be the Democratic nominee for Georgia governor, CBS News projects.

Bottoms, who previously served as mayor of Atlanta and later as a senior adviser in the Biden administration, is projected to receive more than 50% of the vote, securing her the nomination.

The former mayor, the only Black woman running in the race, focused her campaign heavily on voting rights, healthcare access, economic equity and defending Democratic gains in Georgia following years of intense political competition in the battleground state.

She came into the race as the favorite with strong name recognition and the support of former President Biden, who announced his endorsement earlier in May.

“Who I am is a battle-tested leader, and what I’ve been saying to people across the state is, I know what it’s like to go into battle,” she said. “I know what it’s like to go up against Donald Trump. I know what it’s like not to back down against Donald Trump.”

Other candidates in the race included former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former Georgia labor commissioner and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond.

Though she had a decisive win in the primary, Republicans are now ready to attack the former mayor on how she managed crime, disorder, and the COVID pandemic before jolting Atlanta politicos by not seeking reelection. Some candidates had already started mentioning Bottoms’ time in office in their ads before the primary was even finished.

If elected governor, Bottoms said she will exempt teachers from state income taxes and do more to create reasonably priced housing, including “cracking down” on companies that rent tens of thousands of single-family homes in Georgia.

Bottoms will face either Lt. Gov. Burt Jones or healthcare executive Rick Jackson in the general election in November.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.