People · News
Judge, mayor, history-maker: Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history
She beat a billionaire who spent more than $100 million of his own money and flipped Georgia's governorship.
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson for Georgia governor with 54.3% of the vote. NBC News reports she is the first woman and first Black person elected governor of Georgia and the first Black female governor in U.S. history.
Georgia just made history. Bottoms won with 2,271,388 votes, 54.3%, a margin of 362,551, with the race called at 9:24 p.m. ET Tuesday, according to Exa's results page. NBC News projects she flipped the office for the first time in 24 years; Georgia hadn't elected a Democratic governor since 1998.
David vs. a billionaire
Jackson, a wealthy health care executive, pumped more than $100 million of his own money into his campaign, per NBC News. Bottoms ran on affordability, hit Jackson over his past support for data centers and tied him to President Trump. In their debate she said Jackson had "said he wants to be Trump's favorite governor." She also leaned on Sen. Jon Ossoff, who held "United for Georgia" rallies with her, NBC reported.
Who she is
From her public biography on Wikipedia:
- Atlanta born and raised. Born Jan. 18, 1970, she graduated from Frederick Douglass High School. Her father was R&B singer Major Lance, known for 1960s hits including "The Monkey Time."
- A journalism student turned lawyer. She earned a communications degree from Florida A&M, concentrating in broadcast journalism, and a law degree from Georgia State in 1994.
- Prosecutor and judge. She was a prosecutor, represented children in juvenile court, and became an Atlanta magistrate judge in 2002.
- City Council, then City Hall. She served on the Atlanta City Council from 2010 to 2018 and as Atlanta's 60th mayor from 2018 to 2022.
- White House alum. In 2022 she became senior adviser and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement under President Biden.
The hard years
Her mayoralty was shaped by the Covid pandemic and the unrest that came with it, and she didn't run for re-election, NBC reported. Republicans attacked that record all cycle. Voters weren't moved.
She succeeds term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
Sources
- 2026 Georgia Governor general election results — Exa Election Library
- Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms fends off GOP Rick Jackson in Georgia's governor's race — NBC News
- Keisha Lance Bottoms — Wikipedia