Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Joins CNN as Political Commentator

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Monday that she has joined CNN as a political commentator.

Bottoms took her excitement to Twitter, calling her new role a dream. As a Florida A&M University alumna with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and graphic communication, she recalled applying to the journalism program at the Atlanta-based network, but she didn’t get in.

I am thrilled to officially announce that I have joined @CNN as a Political Commentator. As a @FAMU_1887 student, I applied for the coveted VJ program 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.

— Keisha Lance Bottoms (@KeishaBottoms) February 7, 2022

“To now join the team nearly 30 (years) later is a reminder that a dream deferred is never a dream denied,” Bottoms concluded in her tweet.

Bottoms, who entered the mayoral office in 2018, completed her term in 2022 after announcing she would not run for a second term last year. While in her mayoral seat, she helped establish an office of violence reduction to develop and implement strategies to ensure a safer city. As a Democrat, she was considered a potential running mate for President Joe Biden with her emergence as a force in national politics over the last year.

In addition to her new ranking, Bottom serves as vice-chair of civic engagement and voter protection for the Democratic National Committee. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she will be the first honorary fellow of the HBCU Executive Leadership Institute, a “groundbreaking initiative that serves as an incubator for recruiting and developing future presidents for over 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).”

There has been no official date for when Bottoms will appear on the cable news network.