Toast on Lenox, a popular Black woman-owned Atlanta restaurant, is now facing boycott calls for recently opening its doors to Republican Gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson. His Democratic opponent, Keisha Lance Bottoms, joined these calls and warned small businesses from doing the same.
How have Georgia Republicans responded? Georgia Republicans have not taken this lightly, with many accusing Bottoms of abandoning small businesses, both as Mayor of Atlanta during the COVID-19 pandemic and as a gubernatorial candidate.
What key figures are saying:
- Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA): “Small businesses remember back in 2020 when Mayor Bottoms wanted to keep them closed, or even worse let them get burned down. Maybe that’s why so many are looking to support Rick Jackson this fall!”
- Attorney General Chris Carr: “Keisha Lance Bottoms didn’t hesitate to shut down Atlanta businesses during COVID. Now she’s siding with those calling to boycott a business that dared to let her political opponent walk in the door. We cannot allow her to govern again. We must elect [Rick Jackson] in November.”
- House Speaker Jon Burns: “Georgians haven’t forgotten that Keisha’s failures during COVID left small businesses shuttered and livelihoods destroyed. Now, she’s joining an effort to boycott small businesses simply for opening their doors to serve their neighbors. Georgians won’t forget that at the ballot box in November.”
- Garrison Douglas, Rick Jackson for Georgia Spokesperson: “Around 100 small businesses shuttered in Atlanta because of Keisha Lance Bottoms' COVID policies, and now she wants to cancel Georgia small businesses based on who they let through the door. As governor, Rick Jackson won't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat. He will fight for all 11 million Georgians and ensure opportunity has no zip code or party affiliation.”
Further Context: In a video posted to Instagram, Bottoms joined the boycott calls, warning that anyone who welcomes Jackson “has made a calculated decision based on the benefits and the risk of doing that.”
This was essentially Bottoms clarifying that she will inflame efforts to boycott and cancel Georgia small businesses for political reasons.
The message from Georgia Republicans is the same. Keisha Lance Bottoms abandoned Georgia small businesses as Mayor, and she is doing it again as a candidate for Governor.
