Overview
- Bottcher, 46, formally entered the 2026 Democratic primary on Thursday after opening an exploratory committee last month.
- His campaign says it raised nearly $700,000 in the first 24 hours of fundraising, a strong early signal of support.
- He frames the race as a response to Trump’s “corruption, chaos, cruelty and incompetence,” warning of autocratic threats.
- His launch spotlights his LGBTQ+ identity and past mental-health struggles, as well as a 2022 confrontation with protesters that resulted in arrests.
- He touts City Council work expanding mental-health services in shelters and backing housing rezonings, as rivals including Jack Schlossberg, Micah Lasher, Alex Bores, Liam Elkind and Jami Floyd crowd the field.