ATLANTA, United States — Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has become the first Black woman elected governor of a United States state.
The former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson in Georgia’s governorship election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Her victory also makes her the first woman elected governor of Georgia. It ends 24 years of Republican control of the state’s highest office.
Bottoms, 56, will succeed Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who was barred from seeking a third consecutive term.
The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening. Jackson subsequently conceded defeat and congratulated his Democratic opponent.
A Historic Victory for Black Women
Bottoms’ election marks a milestone in American political history.
Although Black women have served in Congress, presidential administrations, and other senior public offices, none had previously been elected governor of a US state.
Georgia has also never had a female governor.
Addressing supporters in Atlanta, Bottoms acknowledged the significance of her victory and promised to represent residents regardless of their political affiliations.
“I will be a governor for everyone in this state,” she said, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
She also reflected on her family’s history in Georgia.
Before the election, Bottoms visited Crawfordville, where several generations of her family had lived.
She went to the grave of her great-great-grandmother, Betsy Peek, who was born in 1845, two decades before the abolition of slavery in the United States.
Recalling the visit during her victory speech, Bottoms said she did not know what her ancestor had hoped future generations would achieve.
“But I know I am standing on shoulders made of steel,” she said.
The moment connected her election to the history of Black Americans in a state that was once part of the Confederacy.
Democrat Defeats Trump-Backed Billionaire
Bottoms defeated Jackson, a wealthy healthcare executive who received endorsements from President Donald Trump and outgoing Governor Kemp.
Jackson, the founder of Jackson Healthcare, spent more than $200 million of his own money on the campaign.
He presented himself as a political outsider and promised to reduce taxes, strengthen public safety, and limit government regulation.
His campaign also criticised Bottoms’ record as Atlanta mayor, particularly her handling of protests and unrest following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Bottoms defended her record and focused her campaign on living costs, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
She called for an expansion of Medicaid, higher public-sector wages, and measures to reduce household expenses.
She also proposed restricting new data centre developments while the state examined their effects on electricity costs.
The contest attracted prominent national political figures.
Trump campaigned for Jackson, while former President Barack Obama and former Vice-President Kamala Harris appeared at events supporting Bottoms.
Despite Jackson’s substantial campaign spending, Bottoms secured a decisive victory.
According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, the result ended the Republican Party’s control of Georgia’s governorship, which began in 2003.
From Atlanta Mayor to Georgia Governor
Bottoms previously served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022.
Her tenure included the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread demonstrations over racial injustice and police violence.
She chose not to seek a second term.
After leaving office, she joined President Joe Biden’s administration, serving as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and as a senior adviser.
Her return to electoral politics came as Georgia emerged as one of the most competitive states in the country.
The state had long been dominated by Republicans, but Democrats made significant gains during the previous decade.
In 2020, Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992.
Democrats also won both of the state’s US Senate seats, electing Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Bottoms’ victory continues that political shift.
She is the first Democrat elected governor of Georgia since Roy Barnes won the office in 1998.
Barnes lost his re-election bid to Republican Sonny Perdue in 2002.
Stacey Abrams’ Earlier Campaigns
Bottoms’ victory follows two unsuccessful attempts by fellow Democrat Stacey Abrams to become Georgia’s first Black woman governor.
Abrams won the Democratic nomination in 2018, becoming the first Black woman nominated for governor by a major American political party.
She lost to Kemp in that election and again in 2022.
Her campaigns helped expand voter registration and Democratic political organisation in Georgia.
Those pivotal efforts contributed to the development of a diverse Democratic electoral coalition in the state.
Bottoms’ victory comes eight years after Abrams’ first campaign.
It also coincides with another historic gubernatorial election.
Stacey Plaskett won the governorship of the US Virgin Islands, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a US jurisdiction. Unlike Georgia, the Virgin Islands is a US territory rather than a state.
Democrats Celebrate Wider Gains in Georgia
Bottoms’ election was part of a wider Democratic advance in Georgia.
Voters also re-elected Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff and selected Democrats for several other statewide offices.
The party won the lieutenant governorship, the secretary of state’s office, and the attorney general’s office.
However, Republicans may retain control of at least one chamber of the state legislature.
That could complicate Bottoms’ efforts to enact her proposed healthcare, taxation, and economic reforms.
Speaking after his defeat, Jackson acknowledged the result and said he respected the voters’ decision.
He congratulated Bottoms and asked his supporters to pray for her as she prepares to take office.
Bottoms will become Georgia’s 84th governor when she assumes office in January 2027.
Her election ends a Republican governorship that lasted more than two decades and establishes a historic first for Black women in American state politics.
