Former Atlanta mayor ‘very concerned’ about low voter enthusiasm in Georgia

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) said in an interview aired on Friday that she’s “very concerned” about diminished enthusiasm among voters in Georgia. 

“Just as a voter, I can tell you I am very concerned at the lack of enthusiasm in our state right now. Of course with my position as senior adviser to the president for public engagement, I have to be very careful in what I say about political affairs,” the Biden official said on “Joe Madison, The Black Eagle.”

“But I can tell you I don’t feel and see the enthusiasm that I think voters across Georgia should have right now. And I know that oftentimes in midterm elections, people don’t turn out to vote. I hope that won’t be the case this year in Georgia.”

The former Atlanta mayor’s comments come just one month out from the midterms where Georgia will play a decisive role in whether Republicans flip the Senate this cycle and if Gov. Brian Kemp (R) can win a rematch against Democrat Stacey Abrams. 

The Georgia Secretary of State’s office suggested in May ahead of the primary that voters were enthused and turning out in record numbers. A press release from May 21 said the office saw “a 168 percent increase over the 2018, the last gubernatorial primary and a 212 percent jump above 2020, the last presidential primary year” in early voting this year alone.

Recent polling shows the race between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Republican Herschel Walker polling within the margin of error, while Kemp is shown to be polling ahead of Abrams. 

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the Georgia Senate race a “toss up” and the Georgia gubernatorial race “lean Republican.”