She beat a billionaire who spent more than $200 million of his own money. Keisha Lance Bottoms, 56, the former mayor of Atlanta, won Georgia’s governor race on 3 November — and in doing so became the first Black woman ever elected governor of a US state. It is the single most historic “first” of the 2026 American elections, and it ends more than two decades of Republican control of Georgia’s governor’s office.
The result
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, 56, former mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022) and former senior adviser to President Joe Biden, won Georgia’s governor race on 3 November, per AP projections.
She beat Republican businessman Rick Jackson with about 54.3–54.77% of the vote (Jackson ~45%), a margin of over 360,000 votes. Jackson spent more than $200 million of his personal fortune on the campaign.
She is the first Black woman elected governor of a US state, the first Black governor of Georgia, and the first woman governor of Georgia.
What changes in Georgia
Her win ends 24+ years of Republican control of the Georgia governor’s office. She succeeds term-limited Republican Brian Kemp, in office since 2019, and takes office in January 2027.
It was also the third consecutive time Georgia Democrats nominated a Black woman for governor — Stacey Abrams lost in 2018 and 2022. This time, the nomination won.
Whether Georgia Republicans will try a redistricting fight before she takes office in January has been raised as an open question in reporting — it is a possibility, not a fact, and this article does not present it as one.
A night of firsts
Bottoms was not the only history made on the same night. Byron Donalds became Florida’s first Black governor, and Georgia joined Florida, Nevada and Wisconsin in electing their first-ever Black governors. Stacey Plaskett was elected governor of the US Virgin Islands — the first Black woman elected governor of a US jurisdiction, a territory rather than a state.
But Bottoms’ first stands apart: no Black woman had ever been elected governor of an American state before. In a night full of firsts, hers is the one that rewrites the record books rather than adding a line to them.
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, 56, former mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022) and former senior adviser to President Joe Biden, now governor-elect of Georgia.
What firsts does her win mark?
First Black woman elected governor of a US state, first Black governor of Georgia, and first woman governor of Georgia.
When does she take office?
In January 2027, succeeding term-limited Republican Brian Kemp.