America's first Black U.S. attorney general endorses Keisha Lance Bottoms as redistricting battles reshape the South

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation's first Black attorney general, has endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, lending one of the Democratic Party's most recognizable voices on voting rights and redistricting to Georgia's closely watched governor's race.

The endorsement arrives as legal battles over redistricting continue to reshape the political landscape across the South, where several states have redrawn congressional maps while others, including Georgia, remain the focus of ongoing arguments over how political boundaries should be drawn in the years ahead.

"The race by Republicans across the country to manipulate maps in their party's favor and do real-world damage to the everyday lives of Americans is not over, and in the 2026 midterms, Georgians have a chance to fight back at the ballot box by electing leaders who will protect against egregious partisan and racial gerrymanders in the Peach State," said Holder Jr., the country's 82nd Attorney General in a released statement. 

Holder — who served as attorney general under President Barack Obama and held senior positions in the Justice Department under Presidents Clinton and Reagan, and later founded the National Democratic Redistricting Committee — has been an outspoken critic of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais. The ruling held that race cannot be the predominant factor in drawing congressional districts without satisfying strict constitutional requirements, a decision that has already begun reshaping redistricting efforts nationwide.

Critics argue the ruling weakens protections that have historically allowed race to be considered when complying with the Voting Rights Act. Supporters of the decision say it reinforces the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause by limiting race-based line drawing, while many experts contend it could make it more difficult for minority communities to elect candidates of their choice.

The decision has accelerated redistricting battles across much of the South. Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee have all adopted new congressional maps, while states including Georgia, South Carolina and Mississippi have publicly discussed whether additional changes could be warranted before the decade ends. Democratic-led California has also pursued its own map changes in response, highlighting how redistricting has become a national political battleground rather than a regional issue.

Georgia occupies a unique position in that conversation.

Unlike several neighboring states that have already enacted new congressional maps, Georgia has so far left its districts unchanged, citing some pending lawsuits over the ruling. At the same time, the state remains one of the nation's premier political battlegrounds, making every discussion about representation, district boundaries and voting access nationally consequential.

Political observers have increasingly pointed to Georgia as a state likely to remain at the center of future legal and legislative debates over redistricting as the decade progresses.

Holder's decision to focus his political capital on Georgia reflects the state's continued importance in national elections and in the broader debate over how Americans are represented in Congress. With legal challenges over redistricting continuing across the country and the next census still years away, decisions made in Georgia could carry political consequences well beyond the state's borders.

Holder's endorsement also gives Bottoms and dozens of Georgia Democrats a prominent national ally whose political identity is closely tied to voting rights and fair representation. It also arrives as Democrats look to energize voters in one of the country's most competitive battlegrounds.

Bottoms will face Republican nominee Rick Jackson, the billionaire health care executive whose campaign has reported more than $87 million in spending, setting the stage for one of Georgia's most expensive gubernatorial contests.

Holder also endorsed dozens of Democratic candidates for the Georgia House, including:

• Whitney Echenique (HD-2)
• Margaret Spear (HD-3)
• Quentin Postell (HD-4)
• Rasmus Jensen (HD-5)
• Cathy Kott (HD-6)
• Bella Bautista (HD-14)
• Lauren Jones (HD-15)
• Diana Spangler (HD-16)
• Cynthia Starke-Jones (HD-19)
• Jason Tanner (HD-20)
• Anthony Aragues (HD-21)
• James Shade (HD-22)
• Rob Epstein (HD-23)
• Scott Soracco (HD-29)
• Rebecca Sims (HD-32)
• Elisa Lassiter (HD-40) 
• Danielle Bell (HD-44)
• Dumont Walker (HD-46)
• Adam Cleveland (HD-48)
• Teresa Lin (HD-49)
• Dr. Michelle Au (HD-50)
• Beth Fuller (HD-53)
• Stacey Evans (HD-57)
• Mathewos Samson (HD-58)
• Robert Dawson (HD-65)
• Kimberly Alexander (HD-66)
• Timoria McQueen Saba (HD-68)
• Brandolynn Yarbrough (HD-71)
• Mishael White (HD-81)
• Billy Mitchell (HD-88)
• Bentley Hudgins (HD-90)
• Rhonda Taylor (HD-92)
• Dar'shun Kendrick (HD-95)
• Dr. Arlene Beckles (HD-96)
• Jyot Singh (HD-97)
• Marvin Lim (HD-98)
• Michelle Kang (HD-99)
• Jennifer Ambler (HD-100)
• Farooq Mughal (HD-105)
• Sam Park (HD-107)
• Lisa Maria (HD-112)
• Michael Caw (HD-114)
• Regina Lewis-Ward (HD-115)
• Catherine Morris (HD-119)
• Eric Gisler (HD-121)
• Spencer Frye (HD-122)
• Hope Beard (HD-123)
• Melanie M. Miller (HD-124)
• Channing Von-T Taylor (HD-127)
• Tyrone A. Evans (HD-128)
• Elliot Valdez (HD-139)
• Tangie Herring (HD-145)
• Cynthia Johnson (HD-148)
• Ethan Wolfe (HD-151)
• Micah King (HD-157)
• David Dillie (HD-161)
• Anne Allen Westbrook (HD-163)
• Stephanie O. Burgess (HD-164)
• Pat Daley (HD-166) 

CBS News contacted the Georgia Republican Party for comment regarding this latest development. 

As of publication, no response had been received.

Should the party provide a statement, this article will be updated accordingly.

Early voting for Georgia's general election is scheduled to begin on Oct. 5.