As early voting nears its end in Georgia, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appears headed for a first-place finish in the crowded Democratic primary, but not without a fight, as polls suggest the race is still likely to spill into a high-stakes runoff.
Recent polls show her winning the support of about 40% of likely Democratic voters in a field of seven candidates, and indicate she’d be strongly competitive in the general election in November, when she could become the first Black and the first female governor in state history.
But as both her Democratic and deep-pocketed Republican rivals attack her performance as mayor, it is sure to be a bruising battle until then.
In recent candidate debates, Bottoms aligns with most Democrats on policy positions — expanding Medicaid and pre-K education, addressing housing affordability, protecting abortion rights, and implementing gun safety measures…