Democratic · Georgia
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Governor-elect of Georgia; former Mayor of Atlanta
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was elected governor of Georgia on Nov. 3, 2026, defeating Republican Rick Jackson 54.3% to 45.7% (AP data via NBC News). She becomes the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history and flips the seat for Democrats.
- 2026 race
- Governor of Georgia
- Result
- Won (flip): Bottoms 54.3%, Jackson 45.7% [Source]
Biography
Bottoms was mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022 and later served as a senior adviser in the Biden White House. NBC News counted her win among several Democratic governorship flips that give the party a majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years.
Record
- Mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022)
- Senior adviser to President Biden
Life & background
- She became a magistrate judge in Atlanta in 2002. [Source]
Coverage
Races · News
Five governorships flipped, zero lost: Democrats redraw the state mapTexas, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa and Nevada went blue, and Democrats picked up full control of five state governments.
People · News
Judge, mayor, history-maker: Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. historyShe beat a billionaire who spent more than $100 million of his own money and flipped Georgia's governorship.
Opinion
Opinion: The next generation didn't wait its turn, and that's why Democrats wonTalarico, El-Sayed, Bottoms and Hinojosa ran on prices and not being for sale. Party leaders should take notes.
Sources
- U.S. Governor Midterm Elections 2026 Live Results — NBC News (AP data)
- Democrats clinch a majority of governorships for first time in 16 years — NBC News
- Keisha Lance Bottoms – Wikipedia — Wikipedia