Former Atlanta mayor signs on as CNN political commentator

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has joined CNN as a political commentator. 

“As a (Florida A&M ) student, I applied for the coveted VJ program at (at CNN) and didn’t get in. To now join the team nearly 30 yrs later is a reminder that a dream deferred is never a dream denied,” Bottoms said in a Monday tweet announcing her hiring. 

Bottoms, a Democrat who was once considered by many as a potential vice presidential running mate for President Biden, announced last year she would not seek reelection as Atlanta’s mayor. 

“It is abundantly clear to me today that it is time to pass the baton on to someone else,” Bottoms said in May. “I don’t know what’s next for me personally and for our family. But what I do know is that this is a decision made from a position of strength and not weakness.” 

CNN dominated media headlines last week following the resignation of President Jeff Zucker, who quit after revealing a personal relationship that he did not report to the company with another high-ranking executive at CNN.

The network has spent the last several months investing millions of dollars into its soon-to-be launched streaming service, CNN+, which is set to go live in March. 

Before being elected mayor, Bottoms was a local prosecutor and city council member in Atlanta.