>>
>> LOVE
>> LOVE YOU ISLANDS A. THINK YOU FOR THE HONOR FOR
SERVING AS YOUR MAYOR.
WITH ATLANTA AND MY HEART WITH
GEORGE ON MY MIND.
>> THAT IS OUR BIG STORY.
KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS WILL NOT
RUN FOR REELECTION.
ANCHOR: THIS IS IF USE -- A
STORY THAT ONLY IN A FEW HOURS
HAS UPENDED ATLANTA POLITICS.
HER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR SAYS
THE MAYOR WILL COMPLETE THE REST
OF HER TERM.
WE WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT HER
INTENTIONS TOMORROW WHEN MAYOR
BOTTOMS HOSTS A PRESS
CONFERENCE.
CONFERENCE. TONIGHT, THERE ARE A LOT OF
POLITICAL INSIDERS WHO ARE
COMPLETELY STUNNED AND OTHERS
WHO ARE NOW WONDERING WHAT IS
NEXT FOR THE CITY'S MOST
IMPORTANT ELECTED POSITION.
LET'S KICK OFF OUR COVERAGE WITH
THE BIG STORY WITH JEFF
HOLLINGER WHO IS SEEN A LOT OF
BIG STORIES OVER THE YEARS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST,
ESPECIALLY FOR THE SURPRISE
FACTOR OF IT ALL.
REPORTER: IT HAS BEEN STUNNING.
IT BEGAN AS A RUMOR AND
ESCALATED INTO A CONFIRMATION.
KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS HAS BEEN
MAYOR FOR LITTLE MORE THAN THREE
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. A
YEARS. A SHORT TENURE, BUT ONE FILLED
WITH CHALLENGES AND PITFALLS.
AND THAT'S WAY 17 ELECTIONS, SHE
FENDED OFF ABOUT ONE DOZEN OTHER
CONTENDERS, INCLUDING CAESAR
MITCHELL, THE CITY COUNCIL
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. SHE WAS ENDORSED BY EVERYONE
FROM FUTURE SENATOR JON OSSOFF
TO THE WRAPPER KILLER MIKE.
AS MAYOR SHE DEALT WITH
CHALLENGES SUCH AS A CYBER
ATTACK AGAINST CITY COMPUTERS,
SOCIAL JUSTICE PROTESTS, THE
SHOOTING OF RAYSHARD BROOKS BY
AN ATLANTA POLICE OFFICER, OF
COURSE THAT CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. -- OF COURSE THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. SHE WENT TOE TO TOE WITH
GOVERNOR KEMP ISSUING THE CITY'S
OWN HEALTH REGULATIONS.
SHE WAS ALSO CONSIDERED FOR A
SPOT IN JOE BIDEN'S
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. SHE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST FULL
CITY DIVERSITY OFFICE AND SPENT
A LOT OF TIME AND CAPITAL ON
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THERE HAS BEEN THE CRITICISM
AGAINST THE MAYOR BECAUSE OF THE
ESCALATING CRIME RATES IN THE
CITY THAT ARE RISING AND RISING
AND RISING.
AND RISING. SHE WAS EXPECTED TO FACE A
STRONG CHALLENGE IN NOVEMBER
FROM CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT
FELICIA MOORE.
FELICIA MOORE. NOW, EXPECT MANY NAMES TO ENTER
THE RACE TO BECOME THE NEXT
MAYOR OF ATLANTA.
IT WILL BE A FULL SUMMER AND
FALL.
FALL.
FALL. JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS DR.
AUDRA GILLESPIE.
AUDRA GILLESPIE. WE WILL FIND OUT HER REASONS FOR
THIS DECISION TOMORROW, BUT,
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, IN YOUR
ESTIMATION, FOR THE MAYOR'S RACE
COME NOVEMBER AND HOW DOES IT
CREATE A SEISMIC SWELL, AS FAR
AS POLITICS IN ATLANTA GO IN
GENERAL?
GENERAL?
GENERAL? >> I EXPECT FELICIA MOORE WOULD
HAVE MOUNTED A SPIRITED
CHALLENGE TO KEISHA LANCE
BOTTOMS IN THIS RACE, BUT MAYOR
BOTTOMS WAS GOING IN WITH SOME
STRENGTHS.
STRENGTHS. SHE'S GOING IN WITH INCUMBENCY
ADVANTAGE.
ADVANTAGE. SHE WAS GOING ON WITH STRONG
APPROVAL RATINGS.
APPROVAL RATINGS. THERE WAS A PULL -- THERE A POLL
RELEASED THIS WEEK THAT
SUGGESTED SHE WAS IN A PRETTY
STRONG POSITION.
STRONG POSITION. HER EXIT FROM THIS RACE OPENS
THE FIELD.
THE FIELD. THE BIGGER QUESTION IS, WHAT WE
SEE NEARLY ONE DOZEN CANDIDATES
AROUND THIS TIME AS RAN FOUR
YEARS AGO?
YEARS AGO? OR ONE OF THE EXISTING
CANDIDATES CONSOLIDATE THE
FIELD?
FIELD?
FIELD? REPORTER: WOULD YOU LIKE TO
FRAME HER LEGACY ON A NIGHT WHEN
SHE OPTS NOT TO RUN FOR A SECOND
FIRM -- TERM OR WOULD YOU
BELIEVE IT IS TOO EARLY?
>> I WANT TO SEE WHAT SHE SAYS
TOMORROW AND IF SHE GIVES
REASONS FOR WHY SHE HAS CHOSEN
TO DROP OUT.
I THINK SHE WILL EARN HIGH MARKS
NATIONALLY BECAUSE OF HOW SHE
SPOKE UP AND RESPONDED TO THE
POLICE VIOLENCE WITH A SENSE OF
UNDERSTANDING, BUT ALSO WITH A
SENSE OF PLEADING WITH PEOPLE
NOT TO VANDALIZE IN A PRETTY
POWERFUL WAY.
POWERFUL WAY. I THINK THE CRIME ISSUE IS GOING
TO BE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WILL
TALK ABOUT IS A BIT OF A
CRITICISM OF HER RECORD.
I THINK OVERALL BECAUSE SHE
SERVED ONLY FOUR YEARS SHE IS
NOT GOING TO BE PERCEIVED WITH
THE SAME IMPACT AS, FOR
INSTANCE, MAYOR JACKSON.
REPORTER: IN THE MODERN HISTORY
OF ATLANTA, THIS IS
UNPRECEDENTED.
UNPRECEDENTED. THIS IS A PLACE WE HAVE NOT BEEN
IN SEEN AND EXPERIENCED, BUT WE
WILL GET A POLITICAL TASTE OF IT
IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS TO COME.
ALL OF THAT STRAIGHT AHEAD.
DR. GILLESPIE FROM EMORY, THANKS
SO MUCH.
SO MUCH.
SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND
OBSERVATIONS.
OBSERVATIONS. THIS HAS TO BE A SHOCK FOR MANY
PEOPLE CLOSE TO HER.
BY HER, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE
MAYOR.
MAYOR.
MAYOR. IN
MAYOR. IN MARCH, PRESIDENT BIDEN HOSTED
A FUNDRAISER FOR MAYOR BOTTOMS.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A STORY THAT
CONTINUES TO GROW AND CERTAINLY
EVOLVE, NOT ONLY TONIGHT, BUT
CERTAINLY IN THE WEEKS AHEAD.
CITY HALL IS ALWAYS A PLACE OF A
LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
IT IS A VERY INTERESTING,
MYSTERIOUS PLACE AT TIMES.
IT IS ABOUT TO GET EVEN MORE
INTERESTING.
INTERESTING. ANCHOR: THE MAYOR'S TO HOLD THE
PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW
MORNING, WHERE SHE WILL LIKELY
TALK ABOUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
IN-DEPTH AND GIVE US