‘People are fired up’: Keisha Lance Bottoms makes one more stop in Dublin before Election Day, Tuesday, November 3

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms made a campaign stop in Dublin on Sunday afternoon. An Atlanta native, former magistrate judge, Atlanta City Councilmember, and member of the Biden-Harris presidential administration, Bottoms has crisscrossed the state, including making a stop in Dublin earlier this year, during her campaign to become the first Black governor in state history. 

With only 48 hours till the polls open for the final time this election season, Bottoms returned to Laurens County, the 43rd most populous county in the state, to gauge interest in her campaign. If the sound of the crowd when she was introduced by Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar was any indication, the people were ready to hear what she had to say.

“Dublin, I am happy to be here a few days till Election Day. We have some really important things on this ballot. This is an opportunity for us to decide who we are as a state,” Bottoms said. 

Bottoms stopped by the Emory Thomas Auditorium to both motivate the Democratic base and reach a few potential voters who may be still deciding which direction to go in the race for the state’s next governor. When she asked the room full of supporters whether or not they voted early, a majority raised their hands. She followed that inquiry with, “How many of y’all are going to vote on Tuesday?” 

Despite there being more than 35,954 registered voters in Laurens County, only 8,700 voted during the advanced voting period, which ended on Friday, October 30, 2026.

During the 30-minute event, Bottoms spoke about Medicaid expansion, affordability, reasons she is a better candidate than her opponent, Republican political neophyte Rick Jackson, who made a campaign stop in Forsyth County at the same time Bottoms was in Dublin, and what she called, “getting back on track.”

“We will get Georgia back on track,” she said. “We need that whole ballot energy where you go in and see that whole ballot from top to bottom.” 

Asked if the level of support in Dublin on Sunday night was what she expected, Bottoms said it was. “It speaks to the energy around this campaign. People are fired up.”

Middle Georgia continued to be an area of interest for Democratic candidates as sitting Senator Jon Ossoff made a stop in Warner Robins on Sunday. 

Before she left the auditorium, Bottoms took a couple of requests for photos and shared some words with supporters. People like community activist Thomas Wheeler who told The Courier Herald that it was important for Bottoms to be here because of the symbolic connection to the auditorium whose namesake is Dublin’s first Black City Councilman. 

“This is a good thing,” he said.

Or Kenny Walters who said he wasn’t in attendance to support any particular candidate. “I’m here to encourage people to vote. I want them to look at the issues, and then exercise their Constitutional right to vote.”

Both Wheeler and Walters are part of the thousands of county voters who have voted early.

Richard Stanley, born and raised in Dublin, was more specific about why he was there Sunday night. “Im here to support Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor,” he said.

Monday will be busy for Bottoms who has several other campaign stops planned for the day before Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. 

Before she was done in Dublin, Bottoms had one more question and answer for the crowd: “Do you want a woman who believes our best days are ahead of us? Well, I’m that kind of woman.”