Busy Day in Atlanta: Bottoms Opts for CNN, Jones for House Race

ATLANTA — It has turned out to be a particularly busy Monday for Atlanta politics.

First came word that former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has decided to join CNN as a political commentator.

Bottoms, who was a guest on CNN and other cable news channels during both the pandemic and the 2020 election cycle, revealed in a tweet that joining CNN had been a long-time dream, going back to when she applied but failed to get into its vaunted video journalist career development program.

“To now join the team nearly 30 [years] later is a reminder that a dream deferred is never a dream denied,” she said.

In addition to her television duties, Bottoms will continue to serve as vice chair of civic engagement and voter protection for the Democratic National Committee. 

She is also set to be the first honorary fellow of the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute, a new effort based at Clark Atlanta University aimed at training people for careers as leaders of historically Black colleges and universities, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Meanwhile, former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones announced on Monday that he is dropping out of the race for governor and will instead pursue a bid for Congress. 

“After much prayer and consideration I have decided that I can best serve the people of Georgia in the Congress of the United States,” Jones said in a statement posted to Twitter.

“I believe that strong conservative voices need to be heard as we lead America into the future,” he added.

Jones, a former Democrat, has come close to incumbent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in the race for the Republican nomination, which also includes former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga.

Jones is now endorsing Perdue in the contest.

One thing he didn’t mention is which congressional seat he expects to run in.

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