Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms made history on November 3, 2026, by defeating Republican billionaire Rick Jackson to become the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. state. Capturing 55.4% of the vote, Bottoms ended over two decades of Republican executive control in Georgia despite being heavily outspent by Jackson, who poured over $200 million of his personal wealth into the race. Bottoms leveraged high-profile Democratic endorsements and tied Jackson to President Donald Trump to achieve the landmark flip.
Election results and race call
- ▪The Associated Press called the Georgia gubernatorial race for Keisha Lance Bottoms shortly before 9:30 p.m. EST on November 3, 2026
- ▪Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican billionaire Rick Jackson to win the Georgia gubernatorial election
Historic Black candidacies in the election
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman ever elected governor of any U.S. state following her November 3, 2026 election victory in Georgia
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms was one of eight Black major-party candidates contesting gubernatorial races across the United States on November 3, 2026
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms' 2026 election marked the third consecutive cycle featuring a Black woman at the top of the Georgia Democratic gubernatorial ticket, following two runs by Stacey Abrams
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms and Minnesota Republican Lisa Demuth were the only two Black women contesting governor races in the U.S. during the November 2026 election cycle
Shift in Georgia state government power
- ▪Republicans have maintained legislative majority control in the Georgia statehouse for more than 20 years
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms' victory grants her statehouse veto power that can block Republican legislative agendas in Georgia
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Democrat elected governor of Georgia since 1998, ending more than two decades of Republican executive control in the state
Bottoms' previous political experience
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms served as a senior adviser to Joe Biden's 2024 presidential reelection campaign after her White House role
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms previously served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022 and later worked as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement under Joe Biden
Campaign funding in the governor's race
- ▪Republican candidate Rick Jackson self-funded his campaign by pouring over $200 million of his personal wealth into the Georgia gubernatorial race
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms benefited from late campaign donations from Michael Bloomberg and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker to overcome Rick Jackson's financial advantage
Donald Trump's Role in Georgia politics
- ▪Keisha Lance Bottoms centered her campaign attacks against Rick Jackson on his relationship with President Donald Trump amid Trump's low popularity in Georgia
- ▪Rick Jackson defeated Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones in a June primary runoff to secure the Republican gubernatorial nomination after Jones was endorsed by Donald Trump
- ▪Incumbent Georgia Governor Brian Kemp refused to align with Donald Trump's efforts to challenge the state's 2020 presidential election results
Jon Ossoff's Senate reelection race
- ▪Jon Ossoff was the only Democratic senator seeking reelection in 2026 in a state won by Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election
- ▪Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff won reelection in Georgia by defeating Republican Congressman Mike Collins in the battleground Senate race
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