Keisha Lance Bottoms Makes History as Georgia's Governor

Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat and former mayor of Atlanta, won Georgia's gubernatorial election, making history as the first Black woman elected governor in any US state and the first woman to serve as governor in Georgia. The election took place on a Tuesday, where Bottoms, aged 56, defeated Republican candidate Rick Jackson, ending the GOP's 24-year control of the office.

She succeeds Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who completed two consecutive terms. Bottoms' victory is a significant milestone for Black women in gubernatorial history and reflects a turning point in Georgia's political landscape, where Black voters have been crucial to the Democratic coalition.

This election follows the previous campaigns of Stacey Abrams, who was the first Black woman nominated for governor by a major US political party but lost in 2018 and 2022. Additionally, Stacey Plaskett was elected governor of the US Virgin Islands, marking another historic win for Black women in governance.