A former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms has made history, becoming the first black woman to be elected governor of a state in the United States.
She achieved the feat yesterday, despite a staggering campaign spending deficit driven by the billionaire Republican businessman Rick Jackson tapping more than $200 million of his own fortune.
She becomes the first Democrat to prevail in a Georgia governor’s race since 1998.
During the campaign, Bottoms often sidestepped the barrier-breaking possibilities of her candidacy and instead emphasized her plans to improve an uneven economy and counter President Donald Trump’s administration in Washington.
Met with chants of “Keisha! Keisha!” as she took the stage at her victory party in Atlanta, Bottoms called her campaign a victory for all Georgians, from teachers to farmers to entrepreneurs.
Dr. Theopia Johnson Tate, of Atlanta, poses for a portrait at an election night event for Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Dr. Theopia Johnson Tate, of Atlanta, poses for a portrait at an election night event for Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) License this photo
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No matter who you voted for tonight, I will be a governor for all of Georgia,” Bottoms said. “Georgia, we sent a message loud and clear that we want a leader who will put Georgia first and who will stand up to all the chaos coming out of Washington, DC.”
The outcome bucked voters’ longtime reluctance to put Atlantans in the governor’s mansion, and Bottoms’ victory was the latest example of how the growth of the state’s largest metro area is reshaping Georgia politics.
In addition to electing a Black woman as governor, the state also reelected its first Jewish senator, Democrat Jon Ossoff, to serve alongside its first Black senator, Raphael Warnock.
Bottoms will succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was barred by law from seeking a third term. It was the third Georgia gubernatorial election in a row with a Black woman leading the ticket. Kemp twice defeated Stacey Abrams, who remains a prominent voting rights advocate and Democratic fundraiser but opted against a third run for governor.
-apnews
