FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 

March 4, 2026

CONTACT: press@keishaforgovernor.com

Bottoms joined hundreds of Georgians during the five-day swing to talk about her vision for the state

ATLANTA — Last week, Democratic candidate for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms met with hundreds of Georgians in Dahlonega, Marietta, Athens, Madison, and Covington.

During the five-day swing, Bottoms talked to community members about her vision for the state, discussed the issues that matter most to them, and talked to local and elected leaders about her plans to make Georgia more affordable, support higher education, and stand up for Georgians against Donald Trump’s chaos coming out of Washington.

DAHLONEGA

On Tuesday, Bottoms joined the University of North Georgia College Democrats to discuss her campaign for governor and answer questions about her plans to support higher education in Georgia.

Later in the evening, Bottoms joined Lumpkin County Democrats to discuss the challenges facing the area, including discussing the need for affordable housing:

Bottoms said,“What rent burdened means is that one third of your income goes toward rent. It used to be 25% in Lumpkin County in 2017, in 2023 that number went up to 85%. This is an issue that I am hearing everywhere — whether I am in South Georgia or whether I'm in North Georgia.” [Video here]

MARIETTA

On Wednesday, Bottoms joined a standing room only crowd while talking to the East Cobb Democrats about her plans to make Georgia more affordable and expand access to affordable healthcare for more Georgians by expanding Medicaid and keeping rural hospitals open:

“If you travel 20 East and West, if you travel 75 North and South, it is likely that you've gone through one of these communities that had a hospital that closed,” Bottoms said. “What that means: if God forbid you have a medical emergency, a car accident, and you need care you possibly could be an hour away from the closest hospital.”

ATHENS

On Thursday, Bottoms held a meet-and-greet in Athens with UGA students and other community members where she discussed her plans to support education at all levels:

Bottoms said, “I also want to eliminate state income taxes for our teachers. There's a teacher shortage in the state. I think it will go a very long way in helping us to address that teacher shortage, helping to support our small businesses is also important, and creating a pathway for free technical and community college.”

MADISON

On Thursday evening, Bottoms also held a meet-and-greet in Madison to share her vision for Georgia and discuss what she’s hearing from Georgians as she travels across the state:

“When you offer common sense leadership, then people can look past party lines, they can look past racial lines, they can look past gender lines. And I think in this season, people just want strong leaders who are making sound decisions,” said Bottoms.

COVINGTON

On Saturday, Bottoms joined local elected and party leaders at the Newton Democrats Blue Affair Breakfast where she delivered the keynote speech about the stakes of Georgia’s 2026 election:

“What I do know is with you all working with me, God willing, when I'm elected as governor, then we can at least go a long way in making a difference across the state, making sure our communities are not left behind, making sure that our young people believe us when we tell them their better days still lie ahead,” said Bottoms.

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