For more than two centuries, no Black woman had been elected governor of a US state. That political barrier has now fallen in Georgia, where voters have chosen former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms over a wealthy Republican rival in a historic election.
Bottoms, a Democrat, defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson in the gubernatorial election, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a US state. She will also make history as Georgia’s first female governor.
Her victory marks a major political shift in Georgia, a traditionally Republican-leaning battleground state where Republicans had controlled the governor’s office since 2002. Bottoms’ win ends more than two decades of Republican dominance in the state’s highest office.
The election pitted Bottoms against Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive who reportedly spent more than $200 million of his personal fortune on his campaign. Despite the massive financial backing, Jackson lost to Bottoms, whose campaign focused on issues including healthcare access, education, reproductive rights and the rising cost of living.
Bottoms previously served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022 before joining former US President Joe Biden’s administration as a senior adviser. Her experience in local government and national politics helped shape her return to the political spotlight.
Her election is also a milestone for Black women in American politics, following years of unsuccessful attempts by prominent candidates to break the same barrier. Among them was Stacey Abrams, who twice ran unsuccessfully for Georgia governor.
Bottoms is expected to take office in January 2027, succeeding outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp. However, her historic victory now comes with the challenge of delivering on campaign promises while governing a politically divided state.
