Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Georgia Governor’s race, becomes first black female governor in U.S. history

Georgia is entering a new chapter in its political history after Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson in Tuesday’s gubernatorial election, becoming the state’s first woman elected governor and the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. Bottoms’ victory marks a major political shift for Georgia, flipping the governor’s office from Republican to Democratic control for the first time in 24 years. She will succeed Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who was unable to seek another term because of Georgia’s term limits.

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The former Atlanta mayor and Biden administration adviser overcame a campaign backed by more than $200 million in personal spending from Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive and founder of Jackson Healthcare. The Associated Press projected Bottoms as the winner Tuesday night, marking a historic milestone for Georgia and the nation. At her election-night rally, Bottoms thanked supporters and volunteers who helped propel her campaign to victory. Bottoms’ election ends more than two decades of Republican leadership in the governor’s office. Georgia has not elected a Democratic governor since 1998.

Her victory also breaks a significant political barrier. Although several Black men have previously served as governors in the United States, Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected to the position.

Source: WSAV