{"id":2605248,"date":"2026-05-20T18:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T22:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-keisha-lance-bottoms-deliver-georgia-win-stacey-abrams-could-not\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T18:47:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T22:47:39","slug":"can-keisha-lance-bottoms-deliver-georgia-win-stacey-abrams-could-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-keisha-lance-bottoms-deliver-georgia-win-stacey-abrams-could-not\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Keisha Lance Bottoms deliver Georgia win Stacey Abrams could not?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcan-keisha-lance-bottoms-deliver-georgia-win-stacey-abrams-could-not%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2605248&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Keisha Lance Bottoms,a former Atlanta mayor,is energizing Democrats ahead of the Georgia governor\u2019s race after winning Tuesday\u2019s primary decisively and avoiding a costly runoff. Party strategists see her as the strongest chance in nearly 25 years to deliver a statewide Democratic victory-something they believe could not be achieved by Stacey Abrams.  <\/p>\n<p>Republicans, by contrast, are mired in their own turmoil following a competitive GOP gubernatorial runoff between Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov.Burt Jones, which Democrats think could fracture the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-says-im-not-going-anywhere-after-kentucky-legislature-passes-vacancy-bill\/\" title=\"McConnell Says \u2018I\u2019m Not Going Anywhere\u2019 After Kentucky Legislature Passes Vacancy Bill\">conservative electorate<\/a>.Bottoms is entering the general election with strong name recognition and is pitching her campaign heavily around opposition to President Donald Trump, aiming to appeal in a state that remains politically competitive.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts also highlight contrasts between Bottoms and Abrams, arguing she may be more relatable, more low-key, and better positioned to connect with voters beyond the most engaged Democratic base.To keep expanding her coalition, Bottoms will likely need to focus on everyday \u201cpocketbook\u201d issues-like costs of living, fuel prices, and economic uncertainty-through November.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Atlanta mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/keisha-lance-bottoms\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"21322\">Keisha Lance Bottoms<\/a> is reviving Democratic optimism about winning <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"164\">Georgia\u2019s governor\u2019s mansion<\/a> for the first time in nearly 25 years, with party strategists increasingly viewing her as the candidate who could accomplish what Stacey Abrams could not: delivering a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11675\">statewide Democratic victory<\/a> in one of the nation\u2019s premier battlegrounds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bottoms turned in a commanding performance in Tuesday\u2019s primary, clearing the field outright and avoiding the expensive runoff many of her opponents hoped would weaken her standing and expose cracks in her coalition. Instead, the decisive victory gives her an early advantage in the general election as Republicans remain consumed by a divisive runoff between billionaire Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4576224\/janeese-lewis-george-lead-kenyan-mcduffie-dc-mayor-race\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Janeese Lewis George holds lead over Kenyan McDuffie in DC mayor race<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4576065\/georgia-supreme-court-judge-bat-off-primary-challenger\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Conservative Georgia Supreme Court judges bat off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/club-for-growth-staffer-jumps-into-va-senate-gop-primary-taking-aim-at-mitch-mcconnell\/\" title=\"Club for Growth staffer enters VA Senate ..., targeting Mitch McConnell.\">primary challengers backed<\/a> by Obama<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4576037\/burt-jones-rick-jackson-debate-georgia-runoff\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Burt Jones challenges Rick Jackson to a runoff debate in Georgia<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms thanks supporters after winning the democratic nomination during her election watch party Tuesday, May 19, 2026, in Atlanta. (Natrice Miller\/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bottoms enters the general election with some of the strongest name recognition in the race and has centered much of her campaign on opposition to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">President Donald Trump<\/a>, a message Democrats believe could resonate in a state that continues to trend politically competitive.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI absolutely think Keisha Lance Bottoms has a real shot to do what Stacey Abrams couldn\u2019t and win the governor\u2019s mansion,\u201d Democratic strategist Jay Satterfield, principal at North Shore Strategies, told the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em> \u201cCommon sense tells you Republicans in Georgia ought to be scared to death right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Satterfield argued the Georgia GOP appears increasingly fractured heading into November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019ve got the Marjorie Taylor Greene \u2018America First\u2019 crowd, the MAGA movement, the old-school Chamber of Commerce conservatives, and the traditional pro-business Republicans all pulling in different directions,\u201d he said. \u201cThe GOP primary was a perfect example of that splintering. Meanwhile, Keisha Lance Bottoms avoided a runoff outright and came out looking disciplined and electable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn a year where Republicans are facing growing fatigue nationally and fighting each other internally, Democrats don\u2019t have to win over everybody,\u201d he said. \u201cThey just have to look like the stable alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Georgia-based political strategist David McLaughlin said Bottoms may also benefit from contrasts with Abrams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFirst, she\u2019s a wife and mother. Second, she\u2019s more low-key in her approach,\u201d McLaughlin told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cAnd third, 2026 is likely to be a referendum on MAGA and a terrible cycle for Republicans nationally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Abrams, a former leader of Georgia Democrats in the state House and a prominent national voting-rights advocate, came within striking distance of the governor\u2019s mansion in 2018 before narrowly losing to<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/brian-kemp\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3312\"> Gov. Brian Kemp<\/a> (R-GA). Abrams sought a rematch four years later but was defeated by Kemp by nearly eight percentage points in the 2022 election. She ruled out another run in January.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAmericans are in pain but they are ready to act, and now is the moment to reconnect to what is at stake and what is possible,\u201d Abrams told the <em>Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s clear to me that the most effective way I can serve right now is by continuing to do this important work. For that reason, I will not seek elected office in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ashleigh Ewald, a 23-year-old Georgia Tech student and former Gen Z content creator for former Vice President Kamala Harris\u2019s presidential campaign, believes one area where Abrams went wrong was her communication with voters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile both are viewed as progressive Democrats, Bottoms has the opportunity to connect with voters in a more conversational and relatable way that resonates beyond <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >highly politically engaged audiences<\/a>,\u201d she told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cOne challenge Democrats continue to face in Georgia is that many everyday voters do not want to feel like they are being talked down to or spoken to in overly academic political language. Voters are focused on practical concerns affecting their daily lives, and are more about how a candidate makes them feel. If Bottoms can meet voters where they are and communicate in a direct, accessible way, that could help broaden her appeal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking ahead to November, Bottoms will need to keep her campaign centered on pocketbook concerns such as rising living costs, fuel prices, and broader economic uncertainty weighing on Georgia voters if she wants to continue to build a coalition that extends beyond the Democratic base to include independents, moderates, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-approval-rating-slips-among-democrats\/\" title=\"Biden Approval Rating Slips Among ...\">suburban swing voters<\/a> who often decide statewide elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4575306\/trump-burt-jones-rick-jackson-runoff-georgia-gop-governor-race\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4575306\">TRUMP-BACKED BURT JONES AND RICK JACKSON HEAD TO GEORGIA GOP GOVERNOR RUNOFF<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McLaughlin added that some Democrats are already drawing parallels not between Abrams and Bottoms but between Bottoms and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/katie-hobbs\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"8904\">Gov. Katie Hobbs<\/a> (D-AZ), who overcame skepticism to win Arizona\u2019s governorship in 2022 and now appears positioned for reelection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve already seen Democrats who backed other primary candidates compare this race to Katie Hobbs in Arizona,\u201d McLaughlin said. \u201cA lot of people doubted Hobbs too, and now she\u2019s heading toward reelection.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Keisha Lance Bottoms boosts Georgia Dem hopes after primary win<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2646,"featured_media":2605249,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26140133363012_f4bec8.jpeg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[45496,32923,43554,79973,34385],"class_list":["post-2605248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2026-election","tag-democratic-party","tag-georgia-politics","tag-keisha-lance-bottoms","tag-stacey-abrams"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26140133363012_f4bec8.jpeg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2646"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2605248"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605252,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605248\/revisions\/2605252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2605248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2605248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2605248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}