Eric Holder endorses Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia governor’s race
TheGrio...
The former U.S. attorney general says Georgians have “a chance to fight back at the ballot box” as redistricting and voting rights remain central issues.
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, bringing one of the nation’s most prominent voting rights advocates into Georgia’s closely watched governor’s race. The endorsement comes as redistricting battles continue to reshape politics across the South ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Holder, the nation’s first Black attorney general and founder of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, announced his endorsement as disputes over congressional maps continue to unfold across the South. “The race by Republicans across the country to manipulate maps in their party’s favor and do real-world damage to the everyday lives of Americans is not over,” Holder said in a statement. “In the 2026 midterms, Georgians have a chance to fight back at the ballot box .”
According to CBS News Atlanta, the endorsement places renewed attention on Georgia, one of the nation’s premier political battlegrounds, where questions on district boundaries continue to shape statewide politics. Holder has been a vocal critic of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which ruled that race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing congressional districts unless strict constitutional requirements are met. Critics argue the ruling weakens protections under the Voting Rights Act, while supporters say it reinforces equal protection principles by limiting race-based map drawing.
The decision has fueled new redistricting efforts and legal challenges across several Southern states, including Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. Georgia, meanwhile, has not adopted new congressional maps, citing ongoing litigation, but remains central to national conversations over future redistricting. Political observers have increasingly identified Georgia as a state likely to remain at the center of legal and legislative debates over electoral representation for the remainder of the decade.
Holder’s endorsement also strengthens Bottoms’ campaign as she prepares to face Republican nominee Rick Jackson. CBS News Atlanta contacted the Georgia Republican Party for comment, but no response had been received at the time of publication.