Announcing her decision to step down from her position as mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms told reporters this morning that “it’s time to pass the baton.” Bottoms explained that she had written two letters to the city last week, one explaining why she would run for re-election and the other explaining why she would not. She claimed that similarities between the two letters were striking.
She insisted that her refusal to consider a second term was a sign of strength, not of weakness.
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Bottoms Argued That One shouldn’t act Merely Because of their Abilities.
Keisha Lance Bottoms (D), mayor of Atlanta, said on Friday that she will not be running for reelection, saying “it is time to pass the torch.”
It’s time to hand the reins on to someone else, Bottoms remarked. Just hours earlier, on Thursday night, she had shocked everyone by announcing that she would not be running for reelection this year.
Bottoms told reporters at City Hall that she had debated running for reelection as mayor ever since she took office. There was no one factor that led to her decision, she explained, but she did say that she was no longer emotionally invested in seeking reelection.
She denied reports that she will be joining Walgreens in Chicago by saying she had “no imminent plans” to seek another office or accept another employment.
Bottoms believed that she would have won her contest even though a reelection bid would have been difficult for her.
Upon being asked if the increased crime rate and Garrett Rolfe’s restoration played any impact in her decision to not run for reelection, she stated emphatically, “No.”
Bottoms Declared, “I may Bend, But I will Never Break.”
Bottoms denied that either she or her husband were being recruited by Walgreens. She claims she doesn’t know what will happen next.
What’s on the other side is not faith if you know what’s there, Bottoms argued.
She has pledged to serve out her current term and to make progress toward her goals.
Bottoms is the first and only mayor in Atlanta’s history to hold positions in all three branches of government. He previously served as a judge and a member of the City Council.
On Wednesday, the Atlanta Civil Service Board ruled in Rolfe’s favour and ordered his dismissal to be rescinded, saying that the city had violated its own policies and denied him due process. Bottoms stated at the time that Rolfe would remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings against him.
Last Words
On Friday, Bottoms stated that the judgement did not factor into her decision not to run, despite the fact that she disagreed with it and still stood by her decision to fire Rolfe.
The mayor has pledged to spend the balance of her tenure prioritising the provision of low-cost housing, assistance to the city’s homeless population, and the maintenance of efforts to enhance public safety.
