Columbus, Ga. - Democratic nominee for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms and U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop will hold a meet and greet with Columbus residents on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 11:15 a.m., according to a news release from her campaign. The Columbus event is the first of three stops that day in southwest Georgia. It is the second day of a five-day campaign tour the campaign calls "Georgia's Voice, Georgia's Vote."

The release says Bottoms and Bishop will use the Columbus stop to talk with residents about what the campaign describes as the stakes of the election and about making a plan for Election Day. The campaign did not publish a street address for the Columbus event. It says media who want to attend must RSVP through a link in the release, and that the address will be provided to those who do.

After Columbus, the schedule moves west to east across the region. At 12:45 p.m., the campaign says Bottoms and Bishop will meet with residents in Bainbridge, the Decatur County seat. At 2:15 p.m., they are scheduled to hold a third event in Albany, the Dougherty County seat. The release does not list venues for the Bainbridge or Albany stops.

Saturday's schedule at a glance

• 11:15 a.m., Columbus: meet and greet with Columbus residents. Address provided to media who RSVP.
• 12:45 p.m., Bainbridge: meeting with Bainbridge residents. Venue not listed in the release.
• 2:15 p.m., Albany: event with Albany-area residents. Venue not listed in the release.

Who is on the schedule

Bottoms is the Democratic nominee for governor of Georgia in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She served as mayor of Atlanta from January 2018 to January 2022. The campaign's release refers to her as "Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms."

Bishop, a Democrat who lives in Albany, has represented Georgia's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House since 1993. The district includes Columbus and stretches south and east through southwest Georgia. The release names Bishop as joining Bottoms at each of the three stops.

What the release does not say

The release does not say whether the Columbus meet and greet is open to the general public or limited to invited guests and credentialed media. It also does not say how long each event will last or whether other speakers will appear. Residents who want to attend should check the campaign's own channels for the latest details, since this information comes only from the campaign.

Election Day in Georgia is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. The Columbus Times has separate guides on voting hours, sites and ID rules in its Election 2026 coverage.

The Columbus Times reports campaign announcements as a public service and does not endorse candidates. This story is based on a news release from the Bottoms campaign.