Former mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has won the Georgia gubernatorial election and will become the first Black woman to be elected Governor of a U.S state. The Democrat won the race against Republican billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson.
Her win sees Democratic party regain control of the governor’s office in Georgia after over two decades of Republican rule. Incumbent Governor Brian Kemp was unable to stand again due to term limits. It is a blow for President Donald Trump who had backed Jackson, standing with him in the final days of the campaign in the Atlanta region.
Former President Barack Obama had backed Bottoms, campaigning for her in late October. Bottoms served as mayor of Atlanta between 2018 and 2022 but decided not to stand for re-election. She then went on to work with President Joe Biden as director of the Office of Public Engagement and later became a senior advisor to Biden’s re-election campaign in 2024.
Bottoms promised to increase Medicaid, make life cheaper for families and protect voting rights during her campaign for governor. Jackson ran as an outsider in the Republican race, highlighting his background of growing up in Georgia’s foster care system when he entered the race in February.
The businessman was reported to have spent over $100 million of his own money on the campaign. He won the Republican nomination after beating Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who had been backed by Trump, in a June run-off.
The projected win for Bottoms comes hot on the heels of a major victory for Democrats in Georgia as Senator Jon Ossoff has won re-election after beating Republican Congressman Mike Collins.
After voting for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, Georgia voted for Trump in 2024, showing how important the state remains in U.S elections.
The governor’s race is still subject to official counting and certification however the projection is a milestone moment for diversity in state leadership in America.
