Georgia has a new governor, and American politics has a new first. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia governor’s race on Tuesday, November 3, defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson and becoming the first Black woman ever elected governor of a US state.
The Associated Press called the race for Bottoms shortly after 9:15 pm Eastern on election night. With most votes counted, she led with about 54.3 percent of the vote, more than 360,000 votes ahead of Jackson, who took roughly 45.7 percent.
Bottoms will succeed Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who has led Georgia since 2019 and could not seek a third term because of term limits. She takes office in January 2027.
A 24-year Republican hold comes to an end
Bottoms is the first Democrat to win the Georgia governor’s race since 1998, ending a Republican hold on the office that stretched for 24 years. Her victory also makes her Georgia’s first Black governor and its first woman governor.
It was a win few pollsters saw coming so clearly. The two candidates went into election day in a statistical tie in most polling, and Jackson had poured more than 200 million dollars of his own fortune into his campaign. Bottoms, by contrast, ran a campaign built around the economy, housing costs and healthcare, and leaned heavily on the state’s large Black voting bloc, which turned out in big numbers during early voting.
“Georgia chose a governor who will fight for working families,” Bottoms told supporters at her election night event in Atlanta. She is an Atlanta native, and her win carries a personal weight she has spoken about often: she is the great-great-granddaughter of Shephard Peek, who was sold into slavery in Georgia in 1826.
From Atlanta City Hall to the governor’s mansion
Bottoms, 56, is no stranger to Georgia politics. She served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022, and before that sat on the Atlanta City Council. She later served as an adviser to former President Joe Biden.
Her path to the governor’s office ran through one of the most recognisable names in Georgia politics. She is the third Black woman in a row to lead the Democratic ticket for governor in the state, following Stacey Abrams, who lost narrowly to Kemp in 2018 and again in 2022. Abrams was the first Black woman to become a major-party nominee for governor anywhere in the country.
Bottoms graduated from Florida A and M University in 1991 with a degree in broadcast journalism and later earned her law degree from Georgia State University. Both she and Florida’s new governor-elect, Byron Donalds, are FAMU graduates, a point the university celebrated on Wednesday.
What her win means nationally
Bottoms was one of eight Black major-party nominees for governor on Tuesday’s ballot across the country. Before this election, only three Black governors had ever been elected in US history, and all three were Democratic men. Bottoms now joins Donalds and three other Black governor-elects who won on Tuesday, making this the largest group of Black governors elected in a single cycle.
Her victory also capped a strong night for Democrats in the US midterm elections, in which the party took control of both chambers of Congress. But the Georgia race mattered on its own terms. Georgia has become one of the most closely watched swing states in America, and flipping its governor’s office gives Democrats a foothold in a state where voters have historically been reluctant to elect candidates from Atlanta to statewide office.
The win may also set up an early test. Reports from Georgia suggest Republicans in the state legislature could move on redistricting before Bottoms is sworn in, a fight that would shape the state’s political map for years.
What happens next
Georgia’s results remain unofficial until counties and the state complete certification, but the margin leaves little doubt about the outcome. Bottoms is expected to begin naming her transition team in the coming days, with a formal inauguration in January.
For Georgia, the result is a clear break with nearly three decades of Republican rule at the top of state government. For the country, it is a first that took 250 years to arrive.
FAQs
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
Keisha Lance Bottoms is a Democrat and former mayor of Atlanta (2018 to 2022). She has now been elected governor of Georgia, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of any US state.
Who did Bottoms defeat in the Georgia governor’s race?
She defeated Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive, winning about 54.3 percent of the vote to his 45.7 percent.
When does Bottoms take office as Georgia governor?
She is expected to take office in January 2027, succeeding Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who is term-limited after eight years.
Why is Bottoms’ win historic?
She is the first Black woman elected governor in American history, Georgia’s first Black governor, its first woman governor, and the first Democrat to win the office since 1998.
How much did Rick Jackson spend on his campaign?
Jackson spent more than 200 million dollars of his own personal fortune on the race, according to multiple reports.
Bottoms’ election night victory speech ended with a simple promise: to govern for all of Georgia. The state will be watching to see how she keeps it.
