FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 Wednesday, April 29, 2026

CONTACT: press@keishaforgovernor.com

Bottoms: ‘This Latest Ruling is a Devastating Setback, Taking a Sledgehammer to the Very Protections that Generations of Civil Rights Leaders Fought and Bled to Secure’

ATLANTA — Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms released the following statement after the United States Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais which makes it harder to challenge racially discriminatory voting maps and threatens the existence of maps that were created to ensure Black and minority voices are heard.

The ruling held that plaintiffs can prove that a state violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act only if there is strong evidence of intentional racial discrimination.

“As the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, Georgia knows the cost of silence — and the power of the vote. This latest ruling is a devastating setback, taking a sledgehammer to the very protections that generations of civil rights leaders fought and bled to secure. It weakens our ability to challenge voting maps that are racially discriminatory — maps designed to dilute and diminish the voices of Black and Latino communities.

“Every Georgian deserves a voice and a fair shot at representation. But while Donald Trump and his hand-picked Supreme Court attempt to roll back the clock and silence that voice, I will not back down. 

“It's already clear that Republican leaders in Georgia will use this devastating ruling as an excuse for further attacks on voting rights, but I will stand toe-to-toe with anyone who wants to threaten the rights Georgians have fought for.

“As governor, I will fight to protect the fundamental right to vote and ensure that every voice is heard, counted, and respected. We owe that to those who came before us — and to the generations who are counting on us to stand firm today.”

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