Democrats have accomplished in Georgia what has slipped through their fingers for decades: Keisha Lance Bottoms is projected to win the state’s cutthroat gubernatorial race, her victory cementing her as the state’s first Democratic governor in 23 years and the country’s first Black female governor.
The former Atlanta mayor overcame substantial financial obstacles: her Republican opponent, billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson, outspent her by tens of millions of dollars. But her campaign was able to break through the tremendous financial firewall, in part by centering her attacks on Jackson on his relationship with President Donald Trump amid the president’s soaring unpopularity in the state.
“Georgia is a work in progress, and we’ve got a lot of work to do, but we have the power to make Georgia more affordable, to protect a woman’s right to choose, to protect our voting rights, to protect our communities from out-of-control data center growth, to make sure every child has the opportunity to reach their God-given potential, and to make sure we are protected from the harmful policies of Donald Trump,” Bottoms said during the sole debate that featured both Bottoms and Jackson.
In her victory speech on Tuesday night, Bottioms emphasized unity and rejection of chaos.
“Georgia is not defined by one moment in time, or by one person. It’s been defined by all of us, and I will be a governor for everyone in this state,” she said. “Georgia, we sent a message loud and clear that we want a leader who will put Georgia first and will stand up to all the chaos coming out of Washington, D.C.”
Bottoms was able to triumph over attacks that painted her as a bumbling, ineffective mayor during her term from 2018 to 2022 — which included overseeing the city during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent nation-and-city-wide spike in crime. Bottoms decided to not run for reelection, and Jackson then accused her of abandoning Atlanta, and laying the groundwork for a more dangerous city.
Bottoms briefly served as an adviser to President Joe Biden and as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement from 2022 to 2023. Both Biden and his former boss, President Barack Obama, endorsed Bottoms’ gubernatorial run.
Georgia is a key part of the 26 gubernatorial seats Democrats hope to secure Tuesday night.
Bottoms’ win also puts up significant barriers to Republicans’ agenda in the statehouse, where they have held the majority for over 20 years: She will hold veto power that could effectively kill much of the new business.
In statements after the results came in, Democratic allies celebrated her win both for its historic nature and what it meant for Democrats broadly.
“After nearly 30 years, Georgia will finally have a Democratic governor, and the United States will see the first Black woman ever elected governor in American history,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said in a statement. “The DGA was proud to be all-in as the largest backer of her campaign and looks forward to working with Governor-elect Bottoms as she works to deliver for Georgians during her historic first term.”