Keisha Lance Bottoms Makes History as First Black Woman Elected US Governor

Keisha Lance Bottoms has made history by becoming the first Black woman ever to be elected governor of a US state. Bottoms’ victory sees the state return under Democratic control after over two decades of Republican rule. It is also a significant loss for US President Donald Trump, who backed Rick Jackson. Bottoms will take over from current Republican governor Brian Kemp.

Georgia Governor Election 2026 – Summary

The Georgia Governor Election was one of the most significant political events during the 2026 US mid-term elections.

After around 75% of votes had been tallied, Bottoms was leading with 55.4% of the vote compared to Jackson’s 44.6%. Major US TV networks predicted that Bottoms had won.

Candidate	Party	% of Vote
Keisha Lance Bottoms	Democratic Party	55.4%
Rick Jackson	Republican Party	44.6%

Bottoms will replace Brian Kemp who was unable to stand again due to term limits.

This result is significant as Georgia has become a key battleground state. The state voted Democrat in the 2020 presidential election (Joe Biden), but voted for Donald Trump in 2024.

Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?

Keisha Lance Bottoms is an American Democrat politician. She is the former mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to winning the Governor election, she held various key roles.

Political Career:

• Prior to 2018: Member of Atlanta City Council
• 2018-2022: Mayor of Atlanta
• 2022 onwards: Senior adviser to President Joe Biden
• Biden Administration: Director of White House Office Of Public Engagement
• 2024: Senior adviser to Biden’s re-election campaign
• 2026: Governor of Georgia (elected)

Bottoms served as Mayor of Atlanta for one term, and decided against standing for re-election in 2021. She then moved to the Biden administration as a senior adviser and became the director of the White House Office Of Public Engagement.

Her victory follows eight years after Stacey Abrams (a fellow Democrat) became the first Black woman to be nominated as a gubernatorial candidate by a major political party in the US. Although Abrams lost the Governor elections in 2018 and 2022, she helped increase the Democrats’ mobilization in the state.

Why is Keisha Lance Bottoms’ victory significant?

1. First Black woman elected as a Governor of any state in the US.

Bottoms became the first Black woman ever to be elected as a Governor of any state in the US.

2. First female Governor of Georgia.

Bottoms became the first woman ever to be Governor of Georgia.

3. Democrats regain the Governor role in Georgia.

The victory means that Georgia has not had a Democratic governor for over two decades. The last Democrat Governor was Roy Barnes who held the role from 1999 to 2003.

4. Loss for Donald Trump.

Rick Jackson was supported by Donald Trump who campaigned with him in Georgia. His loss is seen as a loss for the President and Republicans in a key battleground state.