WASHINGTON — Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is joining the Biden administration as a top White House aide, NBC News confirmed Tuesday.
A White House official told NBC News that the hire will be formally announced Wednesday.
Bottoms will fill a vacancy created by Cedric Richmond, who recently moved to a senior role at the Democratic National Committee after serving as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Axios first reported Bottoms’ new position.
Bottoms, 52, was an early supporter and top surrogate for President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, and was on a list of potential vice presidential picks. She was considered for a number of administration posts after Biden’s victory, including head of the Small Business Administration, but ultimately chose to stay on as mayor. Bottoms later decided not to run for a second term, and has remained close to Biden’s inner circle since leaving office in January.
Her arrival at the White House comes as congressional Democrats face challenging midterm election prospects as they try to defend their slim majorities in the House and Senate amid rising gas prices and overall inflation.
In an interview with Axios, Bottoms said, “I know what it’s like to lead through difficult times and how important it is to have strong leaders around you to navigate.”
“We’ve been through some very challenging times, especially for African Americans in this country,” she added. “Those challenges are still very fresh and real to me. And I live it every day: I live it as a Black woman, I live it as a mother of four children, and I know where those challenges are, but I also know where the opportunities are.”
NBC News has reached out to Bottoms for comment.
