Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms spoke at a church in southwest Atlanta on Sunday. She challenged the idea that Black male voters are to blame for election outcomes.

Speaking at a service honoring men in the community, Bottoms shared her background in Atlanta. She talked about her family’s Georgia roots and her experience raising three Black sons. She also discussed the impact Black men could have in the state’s 2026 elections.

“I’ve been asked, ‘What about Black men?'” Bottoms told the congregation. “What I say is to put the burden of this democracy on Black men is an unfair burden for Black men to carry.”

The comments come as Democrats keep looking into voting trends from the 2024 presidential election. In that election, Republicans gained support from some Black male voters in battleground states. While Black voters stayed a vital part of the Democratic base, the results sparked new discussions about turnout, voter engagement, and whether Democrats are focused on issues that matter to Black men.

Bottoms said political leaders should focus less on blame and more on voters’ concerns.

“If Black men are saying that there is an issue, it’s because we aren’t speaking to their issues,” she said.

The former Atlanta mayor cited economic opportunity, health care access and support for small businesses as priorities she believes resonate with many Black men.

“The Black men that I know care about good jobs in our communities,” Bottoms said. “The Black men that I know care about support of small businesses. The Black men that I know care about access to great healthcare, affordable healthcare.”

Throughout the speech, Bottoms tied her political message to her personal history in Atlanta.

She recalled growing up in Collier Heights and shared a childhood story about her family’s time in England while her father, R&B singer Major Lance, performed overseas. Bottoms said she once believed “all of the white people lived in England and all the Black people lived in Atlanta” until a trip to a grocery store challenged that assumption.

The story reflected both Atlanta’s evolution and the racial realities that have influenced generations of Georgians.

Bottoms also spoke about voting rights, describing a recent experience taking her 18-year-old son to vote for the first time alongside her mother, who came of age when many Black Americans still faced barriers to voting.

“To now stand with my 18-year-old son and for him to face many challenges — for generations that we thought had fought these battles and won — really speaks to who we are called to be in this moment,” she said.

The speech largely avoided direct attacks on Republican opponents, concentrating instead on civic participation and encouraging community members to stay engaged through voting, public service, and advocacy.

“Whatever that thing is that we are called to do, we have to do it in this moment,” Bottoms said.

As Georgia’s 2026 gubernatorial race begins to take shape, Black voter turnout is expected to remain a focus for both parties. Black voters make up roughly one-third of Georgia’s electorate, and analysts have long viewed Black men as an important — though often oversimplified — voting bloc with priorities that include economic opportunity, public safety, education, health care, and quality-of-life issues.

Bottoms closed by pledging to represent all Georgians if elected governor while underscoring community engagement and accountability.

“So not only will I speak on behalf of the communities that raised me,” she said, “but I’m going to speak on behalf of all the people of this state.”