Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has won the race for governor of Georgia, becoming the first Black woman ever elected governor of a US state, according to projections by the Associated Press. The former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive, in Tuesday's election, ending more than two decades of Republican control of the governor's office.
Bottoms, 56, will also be Georgia's first woman governor and its first Black governor. She secured about 54 per cent of the vote — more than 360,000 votes ahead of Jackson, according to USA TODAY's tally on Wednesday morning — despite Jackson spending more than $200 million of his personal fortune on the campaign.
The result is one of the most consequential of the 2026 midterm elections: a Democrat has not won the Georgia governor's race since 1998, and the victory comes in a state that has been one of the country's most closely divided political battlegrounds.
A campaign built on affordability
Bottoms campaigned on affordability, Medicaid expansion, healthcare access and housing. Her affordability plan included a property tax relief package, slashing the state gas tax and allowing local governments to waive sales taxes on groceries.
"If we want a better Georgia, we have to fight for it. We can make Georgia more affordable, restore women's right to choose, protect our voting rights, protect our communities from data center growth, ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed and fight against the dangerous policies of Donald Trump."
Those were Bottoms' words during an October 13 debate that Jackson declined to attend. During the campaign, she faced Republican attempts to characterise her time as mayor of Atlanta as a period of decline for the state's largest city — a framing she rejected.
"It's a longstanding playbook to paint Atlanta as this big bad place," Bottoms told the Associated Press.
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
Bottoms served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022. Before that she was a member of the Atlanta City Council, a magistrate judge and a prosecutor. After leaving City Hall she served as a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden and as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, before declaring her candidacy for governor last year.
She is a married mother of four, born in Atlanta in 1970. According to the National Urban League, she is also the first Atlanta mayor ever to become governor of Georgia.
Why this win matters beyond Georgia. Bottoms' victory is the third consecutive time Georgia Democrats have nominated a Black woman for governor. Former state House minority leader Stacey Abrams was the first Black woman to become a major-party gubernatorial nominee, losing to outgoing Governor Brian Kemp by about one percentage point in 2018 and by seven points in 2022. Abrams congratulated Bottoms after the result, writing: "Georgians spoke clearly for a brighter direction for our state."
The firsts, in one place
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| First Black woman elected governor of a US state | No Black woman had previously been elected governor of any US state. |
| First woman governor of Georgia | Georgia had never before elected a woman to its top office. |
| First Black governor of Georgia | Bottoms is the first Black person to hold the Georgia governorship. |
| First Atlanta mayor to become Georgia governor | No previous Atlanta mayor had gone on to lead the state, according to the National Urban League. |
| First Democrat to win the race since 1998 | Ends 24 years of Republican control of the governor's office; outgoing Governor Brian Kemp is term-limited after two terms. |
The distinction matters: on the same night, Stacey Plaskett was elected governor of the US Virgin Islands, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a US jurisdiction — a territory, rather than a state. Bottoms was one of five Black governor-elects across the country after Tuesday's elections, according to USA TODAY.
What happens next
Bottoms will succeed Kemp, who has served since 2019 and is barred by term limits from seeking another consecutive term. She is due to swear her oath of office in January.
But before she takes power, a fight may break out in the state legislature. Georgia Republicans scrapped a redistricting effort earlier this year after pushback from Democrats and voting rights groups, following a US Supreme Court decision in Louisiana that weakened protections under the Voting Rights Act. With a Democrat about to take the governor's office — and Democrats on track to take majority control of the Georgia House — redistricting is likely to return to the table, to be pushed through the legislature and signed by Kemp before he departs.
"I would not be surprised if there is a special redistricting session. I think if (Bottoms) wins, there will absolutely be a special session that they'll try to get done while Brian Kemp is still in office."
That was Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University in Atlanta, speaking to USA TODAY before election night. Gillespie also cautioned that the scope for redrawing Georgia's maps is limited: the Atlanta metropolitan area is too large and too Democratic to be easily carved up, though the seat held by US Representative Sanford Bishop in the state's south-west corner — one of the last Black-majority congressional districts in the South held by a Black leader — is seen as the most vulnerable.
Figures still being finalised. The vote share cited here — 54.31 per cent for Bottoms — is USA TODAY's tally as of Wednesday morning, with counting continuing. The margin of more than 360,000 votes is from the same tally. Final certified results may differ slightly.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
A Democrat and former mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022), who later served as a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden. She previously served on the Atlanta City Council and worked as a magistrate judge and prosecutor.
Why is her win historic?
She is the first Black woman elected governor of a US state, Georgia's first woman governor, its first Black governor, and the first Democrat to win the Georgia governor's race since 1998.
Who did she defeat?
Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive endorsed by President Donald Trump, who spent more than $200 million of his own money on the campaign.
When does she take office?
Bottoms is due to be sworn in as governor in January, succeeding the term-limited Republican Brian Kemp.
What is the redistricting fight about?
Georgia Republicans may call a special legislative session to redraw congressional and legislative maps before Kemp leaves office, after an earlier effort was abandoned. Any new maps would need to pass the legislature and be signed by Kemp — and Democrats, who are on track to control the state House, would fight them.
Key takeaways
- Keisha Lance Bottoms has become the first Black woman elected governor of a US state, winning Georgia with about 54 per cent of the vote.
- Her victory ends 24 years of Republican control of the Georgia governor's office and makes her the state's first woman governor and first Black governor.
- She defeated billionaire Republican Rick Jackson, who spent more than $200 million of his personal fortune on the race.
- Bottoms campaigned on affordability, Medicaid expansion and housing, and will take office in January.
- A redistricting fight may come first: Georgia Republicans could try to redraw maps in a special session before outgoing Governor Brian Kemp leaves office.
What to watch next: the final certified vote count, the start of Bottoms' transition and her first appointments, and whether Georgia's Republican-controlled legislature calls a special session on redistricting before Kemp's term ends in January.
