Atlanta mayor endorses Biden for president

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden for president in 2020. 

Bottoms was expected to announce her endorsement Friday, but spoke to The Associated Press ahead of the announcement.

The mayor’s endorsement shows support from a black woman leader and comes after a tense debate stage exchange between Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) over Biden’s record on race and civil rights.

Bottoms told the AP that she believes Biden is best situated to defeat President Trump in the general election. {mosads}

“For me, it was most important that we have a president who doesn’t have to walk in the door and figure out where the light switch is, that we have somebody who can lead on Day One,” she said. 

Earlier this month, Bottoms dismissed critiques of Biden’s comment that he “got things done” working with segregationist senators. 

“The larger context was that you have to work across the aisle with people you don’t like, people you don’t agree with,” she said. “I do it each and every day as mayor of Atlanta in a red state.”

Bottoms attended the Democratic debate on Thursday as a guest of former second lady Jill Biden, the wire service reported. 

On Thursday night, Harris said that Biden’s comment about working with Sens. James Eastland (D-Miss.) and Herman Talmadge (D-Ga.) was “hurtful” and accused him of having opposed busing black students to predominantly white schools. 

Biden said that Harris “mischaracterized my position.”

Biden has consistently been the front-runner of the more than two dozen people vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.