Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Georgia governor's race, a first for Black women in the US

Overview

Updated Yesterday

Georgia had not elected a Democratic governor since 1998. On Tuesday it elected Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, making her the first Black woman elected governor of any US state. The Associated Press described it as ending 250 years of US history without one.

Bottoms won while being outspent many times over. Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire health care executive, put more than $100 million of his own fortune into the race, and his campaign spent or reserved more than $200 million on general-election advertising, according to Washington Post reporting citing AdImpact data. Bottoms' campaign had committed roughly $1 million to advertising as of October. She tied Jackson to President Donald Trump, whose standing with Georgia voters had slipped since he carried the state in 2024.

Why it matters

Georgia is a swing state, and its governor will hold a veto over election rules, abortion access and Medicaid expansion through 2030.

Questions about this story

Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.

No questions yet — be the first to ask.

Key Indicators

250

Years without a Black woman governor

The Associated Press framed Bottoms' win as ending 250 years of US history without a Black woman serving as a state's governor.

$200M+

Jackson's general-election advertising

Spent or reserved by the Jackson campaign, compared with roughly $1 million committed by Bottoms, per October AdImpact data cited by the Washington Post.

~$1M

Bottoms' advertising commitment

The Bottoms campaign's October advertising commitment, per the same AdImpact data.

Black governors elected before 2026

Doug Wilder in Virginia, Deval Patrick in Massachusetts and Wes Moore in Maryland. None served at the same time.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Keisha Lance Bottoms

Governor-elect of Georgia; former mayor of Atlanta

Won the Georgia governor's race on 2026-11-03

Rick Jackson

Republican businessman and candidate for Georgia governor

Lost the 2026 Georgia governor's race

Brian Kemp

Outgoing Republican governor of Georgia

Term-limited; leaves office in January 2027 after eight years

Organizations Involved

Democratic Party of Georgia

State political party

Won the governorship for the first time since 1998

The state Democratic Party nominated Black women for governor in three consecutive cycles before winning.

Timeline

1998 November 2026

5 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
Bottoms elected Georgia's first Black governor
Latest Election

She defeated billionaire Republican Rick Jackson, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a US state.
Yesterday
Three Black governors elected in one night
Election

Bottoms in Georgia, Byron Donalds in Florida and Wes Moore's Maryland re-election mark the first overlap.
Yesterday
November 2022
Abrams loses the rematch
Election

Kemp won a second term, setting up an open seat when term limits forced him out.
November 2022
November 2018
Stacey Abrams loses to Brian Kemp
Election

Abrams became the first of three straight Black women nominated for governor by Georgia Democrats.
November 2018
1998
Georgia last elects a Democratic governor
Election

No Democrat won a Georgia governor's race again until 2026, a gap of 28 years.
1998

Scenarios

Bottoms is sworn in as Georgia's governor

Likely Resolves by Feb 1, 2027

Discussed by: The Associated Press and Washington Post, both of which called the race and described her as governor-elect

Georgia's results are certified and Bottoms takes the oath of office in January 2027, succeeding Brian Kemp. This is the default path unless a recount or legal challenge intervenes.

Jackson contests the result

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: No named source has reported that Jackson plans a challenge; this scenario tracks the standard post-election option available to a losing candidate

Jackson, who spent more than $200 million on advertising, asks for a recount or files a formal election contest. Georgia law sets thresholds and deadlines for both, so the window closes quickly after certification.

Bottoms' first legislative session ends without a signature win

Possible Resolves by Apr 30, 2027

Discussed by: The Washington Post, which described the win as ending a Republican trifecta in the state, leaving the legislature in the opposing party's hands

Bottoms governs with a legislature controlled by the other party. Her priorities stall in committee or fail on a floor vote, and the session ends in April 2027 with no Bottoms-backed bill passed by both chambers.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

November 1989

Doug Wilder elected governor of Virginia (1989)

L. Douglas Wilder, a Democrat and the grandson of enslaved people, won the Virginia governor's race by a margin narrow enough to require a recount. He became the first Black American elected to a state governorship.

Then

Wilder took office in January 1990 and served one term, managing a state budget shortfall.

Now

Seventeen years passed before another Black candidate won a governor's race, and no two Black governors served at the same time until 2026.

Why this matters now

Wilder set the precedent Bottoms followed, and the 37-year gap between his win and hers shows how few Black governors the country has elected.

November 2006

Deval Patrick elected governor of Massachusetts (2006)

Deval Patrick, a Democrat and former civil rights attorney, won the Massachusetts governorship and took office in January 2007. He won re-election in 2010.

Then

He served two terms, the second during the 2008 financial crisis.

Now

He remained one of only three Black Americans ever elected governor until the 2026 midterms.

Why this matters now

Like Bottoms, Patrick won in a state where his party held an advantage, and like her he had to build a campaign without self-funding.

November 2018 and November 2022

Stacey Abrams' two Georgia runs (2018 and 2022)

Abrams lost to Brian Kemp twice, the second time by a wider margin. Her campaigns built the organizing networks Georgia Democrats used in later cycles, and her losses kept the seat in Republican hands for eight years.

Then

Kemp governed for two terms and left office under term limits.

Now

Georgia Democrats nominated a Black woman for governor three cycles running, finally converting in 2026.

Why this matters now

Bottoms won the seat Abrams twice lost, against an electorate shaped by the organizing work of those earlier campaigns.