Atlanta, GA
Keisha Lance Bottoms says Georgia voters care more about costs than
Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms captured the Georgia Democratic gubernatorial primary with 56% of the vote on Tuesday, surpassing the majority threshold needed to avoid a runoff and positioning herself as the Democratic nominee heading into the November general election.
“We have a very powerful campaign that’s ready to take on whoever comes out of this Republican primary in November,” Bottoms said in an interview with CBS News “The Takeout” following her victory.
Bottoms said the margin was no accident. Her campaign ran as if it were trailing throughout the race, and she said she believed internally they would clear 50%.
“We always said that we were going to run like we were 30 points down and not 30 points ahead,” she said.
On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and businessman Rick Jackson are headed to a June 16 runoff after neither cleared the majority threshold in Tuesday’s primary. Bottoms did not draw much of a distinction between the two.
“Just in terms of their running toward Trump’s MAGA agenda, they’re equally awful in that regard,” she said. “That’s not what the people of this state want to hear. They want to hear how we are going to address these everyday issues that are impacting their lives: cost of living, access or lack thereof to healthcare, education, access to jobs.”
If elected in November, Bottoms would make history as the first African American woman ever elected governor of Georgia and, she believes, the first in the entire country. She said the historical significance of that milestone is not what is driving her campaign.
“I don’t go around thinking about the label of being a Black woman,” she said. “What I’m thinking about right now is just how I’m going to deliver for the people across the state. It’s just about how will you make my life better and why should I vote for you.”
Bottoms also noted that the governor’s race is an open seat; Gov. Brian Kemp is not on the ballot, which she said gives Democrats an advantage heading into November.
“There are some inherent challenges when you go against an incumbent,” she said. “The fact that it’s an open seat gives us an even better opportunity to pick up the seat.”
On policy, Bottoms outlined several priorities she said she would pursue on day one as governor. She said she would extend the current gas tax suspension to provide relief at the pump, and pledged to expand Medicaid, a move she said would reverse the closure of nine rural hospitals and stop Georgia from leaving federal dollars on the table.
“Half our counties don’t even have OB-GYNs and pediatricians,” she said. “People are having to travel sometimes upwards of an hour or more to receive specialized care.”
Bottoms also called for increasing the state’s average starting teacher pay from $43,000 to $60,000 a year and eliminating state income taxes for teachers. On housing, she pledged to work with builders who specialize in affordable and workforce housing through low-interest loans and grants for homeowners.
A metro Atlanta man is helping his fellow food and beverage workers struggling with addiction and alcoholism by holding weekly meetings that foster support.
“I’ve been cooking for 11 years. I started when I was a teenager. I’ve been with the company ever since,” said Jonah Jacobson, a sous chef at Pricci in Buckhead.
Jacobson said he began to experience repercussions while in active addiction five years ago.
“Things got bad enough to the point where I was fired from my first job,” he said.
Jacobson said once he started using alcohol and drugs, he could not stop.
“Where everybody else would call it a night after 1, 2 and go home like a normal person, I realized I did not have that luxury. I was not like everybody else,” said Jacobson.’
He helps lead the local chapter of Ben’s Friends, a national organization that organizes meetings for people struggling with addiction and alcoholism.
“We would always talk about another restaurant person who was either destroying their lives or, unfortunately, had just taken their lives due to alcohol and drugs. At one point, we just said enough is enough,” said Ben’s Friends co-founder Mickey Bakst.
Bakst has been sober for 43 years. He said the food and beverage industry fosters an environment in which alcohol and drugs are common and makes it easy for workers to fall into active addiction.
Adam Mauk with Edge Treatment Center in Roswell said programs like Ben’s Friends are often more successful after a person completes an initial inpatient or outpatient treatment plan. But he said people often reason they cannot afford to take the time off from work to complete initial treatment.
“It’s been proven time and time again that if you put anything ahead of your sobriety or ahead of trying to get clean or sober, then you’re going to lose that too,” said Mauk.
Jacobson has now been sober for five years.
“It (recovery) gave me a new outlook on life and gave me a sense of belonging that I was looking for, partially in a kitchen, partially outside of my life,” said Jacobson.
Ben’s Friends has more than 40 chapters across the country, offering free peer support to people working in the food and beverage industry.
Jacobson encourages anyone to attend a meeting on Mondays at 11 a.m. at Pricci, located on Pharr Road.
STOCKBRIDGE, GEORGIA – JUNE 19: Radio personality Big Tigger speaks onstage during Juneteenth At The Bridge With Common at VyStar Amphitheater at The Bridge on June 19, 2026 in Stockbridge, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
ATLANTA – Atlanta radio host Big Tigger is stepping away from the microphone to focus on his family following his arrest on domestic violence charges, according to his Instagram.
Public statement defense
What we know:
Darian Morgan, known professionally as Big Tigger, released a statement confirming his decision to step away from his show to give his legal team room to work.
The full statement is below:
“For as long as I’ve been in this industry, my focus has always been to keep the spotlight on the culture and the incredible people I get to interview. But right now, my personal life is in the public eye and has become the subject of overwhelming speculation and misinformation. Through all of this, what hurts the most is being away from my son. Nothing is more important to me than being a great father. So I’ve decided to step away from the mic for a while to focus on my family and give my legal team the room they need. As I previously said, I unequivocally deny every allegation, and I am looking forward to clearing my name. Thank you so much all for the love and support.”
Sandy Springs arrest
The backstory:
It comes after Sandy Springs police arrested Morgan on charges of aggravated battery, battery and third-degree cruelty to children.
According to an arrest affidavit, Morgan’s wife, Alicia Brown, told investigators that he shoved her into an office door during an argument at their home in May.
The impact caused a deep cut above her left eye that required medical stitches.
Police stated that the couple’s 13-year-old son was upstairs during the physical altercation and heard the incident.
Brown was later granted a temporary protective order that legally requires Morgan to stay away from her, their home and their children.
What we don’t know:
It remains unclear how long Morgan will remain away from his broadcasting duties or if his employer plans to take further disciplinary action.
Related coverage
The Source: Information in this article comes from an Instagram post made by Big Tigger and prior FOX 5 reporting.
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