Georgia Democrat and former Atlanta mayor defeats Republican Rick Jackson, ending a long Republican hold on the state’s top office.
Tamrah News Desk | November 4, 2026
Keisha Lance Bottoms has become the first Black woman governor in the United States after winning the Georgia governor election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. According to the Associated Press, the Democrat and former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson and flipped the state’s top office. NPR reported that Georgia has not elected a Democratic governor in more than 20 years, and WSB TV said she will take office in January to succeed Brian Kemp.
Georgia Election Results and the Final Call
The Associated Press called the race on election night, and NBC News also projected Bottoms as the winner. WSB TV reported that Jackson spoke to supporters on Tuesday night and conceded. MultiState Elections listed Bottoms at 54.3 percent of the vote, while NBC News results showed her at 54.2 percent to Jackson’s 45.8 percent. NBC News said official Georgia election results were still pending.
A Landmark Moment for Georgia Democrats
The Associated Press said Bottoms is the first Democrat to win a Georgia governor race since 1998, ending a long wait for Georgia Democrats. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Republicans have held the governor’s mansion since Sonny Perdue beat Democrat Roy Barnes in 2002, and that Georgia had never elected a woman or a Black person to the office. WSB TV reported that Georgia Democrats also won other statewide offices, including lieutenant governor, where Josh McLaurin prevailed. The Associated Press added that voters reelected Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who will serve alongside Senator Raphael Warnock. Read more in our US politics coverage.
Who Is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
NPR reported that Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, served a single term from 2018 to 2022, a period shaped by the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest. Atlanta News First said her record included the rollout of the Open Checkbook transparency platform and the city’s hosting of Super Bowl LIII. CBS News reported in 2022 that she would join the Biden administration. According to PBS News, citing the Associated Press, she won the Democratic nomination in May with 56 percent of the vote in a field of seven, setting up the Georgia governor election 2026. The Atlanta Journal Constitution said the campaign placed her time in City Hall under close scrutiny.
How Rick Jackson and Brian Kemp Shaped the Race
Rick Jackson, a healthcare executive, spent more than $200 million on the race, WSB TV reported, and the Georgia Recorder said much of that was his own money. PBS News, citing the Associated Press, said Jackson won the June Republican runoff with 53 percent, beating Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who had Donald Trump’s backing. NPR reported that Brian Kemp endorsed Jackson after the primary, and the Georgia Recorder said Kemp campaigned with him across the state. MultiState Elections reported that groups backing Jackson had spent or reserved nearly $76 million on airtime before Election Day, against about $8 million for Bottoms and her allies. Georgia election results show the former Atlanta mayor prevailed despite that gap, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported.
What Did Bottoms Promise Voters?
According to the Associated Press, Bottoms called for Medicaid expansion to cover hundreds of thousands more people and a state minimum wage of $15 an hour. She also wants higher pay for teachers, firefighters and police officers, a pause on data center development, and repeal of the ban on abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy. WSB TV reported that she named cutting everyday costs for families as one of her first priorities. Atlanta News First added that her platform also covered housing costs and full funding for schools, alongside Medicaid expansion. See our 2026 midterm elections page for related races.
What Happens Next for the First Black Woman Governor?
Atlanta News First reported that Bottoms will be inaugurated in January, when she succeeds Brian Kemp. The 19th News reported that her election gives Black women a place at the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association, which have never had a Black woman among their ranks. Atlanta News First noted that Stacey Abrams ran unsuccessful campaigns for the office in 2018 and 2022. In her victory remarks, the Associated Press quoted Bottoms urging Georgians to
“choose hope over fear, progress over division.”
Official Georgia election results are expected to follow, and our Georgia news desk will track the transition.
Conclusion
Keisha Lance Bottoms has made history, and Georgia Democrats now hold the governor’s office for the first time since 2003 after Rick Jackson conceded. Her stated priorities include Medicaid expansion and a $15 minimum wage. With Brian Kemp preparing to leave, the former Atlanta mayor will lead the Georgia governor’s office from January. Readers following the story are searching for Keisha Lance Bottoms wins, Georgia governor election results, Rick Jackson concedes, first Black female governor in US, Georgia Democrats win governor and Brian Kemp successor.
