Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Keisha Lance Bottoms has become the first Black woman elected governor in the United States after defeating Republican candidate Rick Jackson in Georgia’s gubernatorial election.
The Democratic candidate secured victory on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, ending nearly three decades of Republican control of the state’s governorship and making Georgia the latest state to elect a Democratic governor.
Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, will succeed Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who was barred by state law from seeking a third term.
Her victory came despite a significant financial disparity between the two campaigns, with the Democrat focusing on economic concerns and opposition to policies of President Donald Trump’s administration during the campaign.
At her victory celebration in Atlanta, supporters chanted her name as she addressed the crowd, describing her election as a mandate to represent residents across the state.
“No matter who you voted for tonight, I will be a governor for all of Georgia.
“Georgia, we sent a message loud and clear that we want a leader who will put Georgia first and who will stand up to all the chaos coming out of Washington, DC,” Bottoms said.
Her election also reflects the growing electoral influence of the Atlanta metropolitan area, whose expanding population has increasingly shaped political contests across Georgia.
The state also re-elected Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who will continue serving alongside Raphael Warnock, Georgia’s first Black senator.
Bottoms’ victory marks the first time a Democrat has won Georgia’s governorship since 1998. Republican Brian Kemp defeated Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams in the 2018 and 2022 elections, while Abrams subsequently continued her involvement in voting rights advocacy and Democratic fundraising.
Reacting to his defeat, Jackson acknowledged the outcome and accepted the voters’ decision.
“Tonight, the voters spoke … and I respect their decision,” he told supporters.
Bottoms was among eight Black candidates nominated by major political parties for gubernatorial elections across the United States on Tuesday.
Before her victory, only three Black Americans, all Democratic men, had been elected governors in the country’s history. The 2026 elections also featured Republican Lisa Demuth, who contested the governorship in Minnesota, making Bottoms one of two Black women seeking governorships in the election cycle.
