Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, won Georgia’s race for governor on Nov. 3, 2026 C.E. She will be the first Black woman governor in any U.S. state, NPR reported. The Associated Press projected her win that night, Forbes reported, and her opponent conceded.
At a glance
- Result: Bottoms won about 54% of the vote over Republican Rick Jackson, according to AP figures. The count is not final until it is certified.
- History: No Black woman had ever served as a governor, according to Rutgers University research. Several Black men have.
- Limits: Republicans held both chambers of the state legislature going into Election Day. Early reports do not say how those races ended.
What happened on election night
Bottoms, 56, is a former mayor of Atlanta. She beat Rick Jackson, a billionaire health care executive who had never held office. Jackson spent more than $200 million of his own money, Forbes reported, citing the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The race looked close beforehand. A poll from that newspaper on Oct. 20 had Jackson at 46% and Bottoms at 45%, Forbes noted.
Bottoms won about 54% of the vote, Black Enterprise reported, citing AP. Fox 5 Atlanta reported that Jackson called her to concede.
Georgia had not elected a Democratic governor since 1998. Fox 5 Atlanta also reported Democratic wins for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Why the first Black woman governor matters
Black women have gained ground in statewide offices, but not in the top job. In January 2023, Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics counted 10 Black women in statewide executive offices, a record.
The center said no Black woman had ever served as a governor. Black men have, WSAV reported.
Bottoms is also Georgia’s first woman governor, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. She takes office in January as the state’s 84th. She follows Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who cannot run again.
What Bottoms says she will do
On election night, Bottoms pledged to be “a governor for everyone,” Fox 5 Atlanta reported. She also said her win showed the limits of money in politics.
Her platform includes full Medicaid expansion and a $15 an hour minimum wage, WSAV reported. It also calls for free tuition at community and technical colleges and a state housing trust fund.
Jackson ran on a different plan. He proposed cutting the state income tax in half over four years and keeping Georgia’s existing abortion restrictions, WSAV reported.
What could limit her agenda
Republicans controlled both chambers of the legislature going into Election Day. Early reports do not say how those races ended. It is unclear how much of her plan can pass.
The results are also not final. Fox 5 Atlanta noted that its numbers had not been checked against official returns.
A night of other firsts
NPR said nine governor candidates made history in the 2026 C.E. election. Two were David Crowley, the first Black governor of Wisconsin, and Byron Donalds, the first Black governor of Florida.
NPR also listed Gina Hinojosa as the first Latina governor of Texas and Deb Haaland as the first Native American woman governor of New Mexico.
Read more
For more on this story, see: NPR and Forbes
For more from Good News for Humankind, see:
- Women have won 60 seats in the New Mexico Legislature to secure the largest female legislative majority in U.S. history
- Sarah McBride makes history as first trans member of U.S. Congress
- The Good News for Humankind archive on women’s rights
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