Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms has made history as the first Black woman elected governor of a US state after defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson in Georgia’s gubernatorial election.
Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, won the closely watched race on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, ending more than two decades of Republican control of the state’s governorship.
Her victory also makes her the first woman to govern Georgia, succeeding outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who was barred from seeking a third consecutive term.
The election result was projected by major US media organisations, including CNN, NBC News and ABC News.
Bottoms, 56, secured the victory despite facing an opponent who reportedly spent more than $200m of his personal fortune on the campaign.
Jackson, founder of healthcare staffing company Jackson Healthcare, campaigned on tax cuts, public safety and reducing government regulations, presenting himself as a political outsider.
During the campaign, Bottoms repeatedly challenged his spending, arguing that financial resources should not determine the outcome of an election.
“He may have the money, but the people still have the power,” she said during her campaign.
Her victory marks a significant milestone in American political history, as only three Black men had previously been elected governors of US states.
Bottoms’ emergence also makes Georgia the latest state to break a longstanding political barrier, following unsuccessful gubernatorial campaigns by fellow Democrat Stacey Abrams in 2018 and 2022.
Abrams’ campaigns helped strengthen Democratic support among Black voters and other demographic groups in Georgia, turning the traditionally Republican-leaning state into a competitive political battleground.
During her campaign, Bottoms focused on economic opportunities, healthcare, public safety and protecting residents from policies introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration.
She advocated expanding Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of residents, raising Georgia’s minimum wage to $15 per hour and improving the salaries of teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees.
She also called for a pause on new data centre developments and the repeal of Georgia’s six-week abortion ban.
Speaking about her plans for the state, Bottoms urged residents to embrace unity and reject political divisions.
“Let’s choose hope over fear, progress over division, and come together to build a better Georgia for everyone,” she said.
Before entering the gubernatorial race, Bottoms served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022. She later joined the administration of former President Joe Biden as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and subsequently served as a senior adviser to him.
Her election also represents a setback for Trump, who endorsed Jackson and campaigned alongside him in Georgia during the closing weeks of the election.
Former President Barack Obama, meanwhile, campaigned for Bottoms in October, urging voters to support her candidacy.
The election outcome is expected to reshape Georgia’s political landscape, with Democrats returning to the governor’s office for the first time since 1998.
