Keisha
Lance Bottoms

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Bottoms in a campaign video, saying, 'I hope you'll support my friend Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor.' The endorsement was widely covered across national and local outlets.

Bottoms and Jackson debated in a town-hall-style event hosted by Atlanta News First, described as their only agreed-upon debate before Election Day. They clashed over Medicaid expansion, data centers, voting rights, surveillance cameras, taxes, and their respective records.

Bottoms accused Jackson of having financial interests in data-center companies, arguing this made him untrustworthy on the issue. Jackson denied her characterization and attacked her record on a data-center-related project approved while she was Atlanta mayor.

At the debate, Bottoms declared Medicaid expansion a day-one priority as governor and also supported a $15 minimum wage, an affordable-housing trust fund, tuition-free community colleges, and a pause on new data-center construction.

Bottoms' campaign announced endorsements from 32 current and former Georgia law-enforcement officials, including sheriffs, prosecutors, and former Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant.

Bottoms announced a policy proposal to eliminate Georgia's 2.25% auto-insurance premium tax, lower fuel-tax rates, end automatic annual fuel-tax increases, and add consumer protections for policyholders. The campaign said revenue offsets could come from state visitor center sponsorships and EV charging stations.

Reporting revealed Bottoms had raised more than $5.7 million since May 2025, while Jackson had outraised her roughly 20 to 1 through June 30. The Bottoms campaign and allies had spent about $8 million, including $7 million from the Democratic Governors Association.

In This Together, a PAC associated with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, contributed $100,000 to a super PAC supporting Bottoms, according to WEKU reporting on campaign finance records.

A scheduled debate was canceled after Jackson's campaign declined to take part. Bottoms criticized him, saying she had called for six debates and Jackson said no to five of them. Jackson's campaign had agreed to an October debate.

An InsiderAdvantage survey conducted September 22–23 showed Jackson ahead 48% to 46%, with 6% undecided. The two-point gap was within the poll's three-point margin of error.

Bottoms publicly pledged to expand Medicaid in Georgia, making it a central campaign commitment.

A Big Data Poll of likely Georgia voters conducted September 21–23 showed Jackson ahead of Bottoms by two points, 48.7% to 46.7%.

The Omega Network for Action announced its endorsement of Bottoms in the Georgia governor's race.

A Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,019 likely voters showed Rick Jackson leading Keisha Lance Bottoms 48% to 45%, with 7% undecided. The three-point gap was within the poll's ±3-point margin of error.