Keisha Lance Bottoms Sworn In As Atlanta Mayor

Keisha Lance Bottoms has been sworn in as Atlanta’s new mayor.

Bottoms took her oath of office during an inauguration ceremony at Morehouse College Tuesday. City council members, council President Felicia Moore and municipal court judges were also set to take office.

Bottoms defeated Mary Norwood in a Dec. 5 runoff election to succeed Kasim Reed as Atlanta’s next mayor.

The bitterly contested campaign between the two city council members was marked by political grudges and allegations of corruption, and less than 20 percent of the city’s roughly 500,000 residents turned out to vote.

Bottoms will be Atlanta’s sixth consecutive black mayor since Maynard Jackson was elected in 1973.

City Council members are expected to convene at 5 p.m. Tuesday for their first organizational meeting of their new session.