Keisha Lance Bottoms Wins Georgia Governor’s Race, Makes U.S. History

GEORGIA ELECTION | NOVEMBER 3, 2026

Georgia has a new governor-elect, and the result is one for the history books. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has won the state’s gubernatorial race, defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson, according to the Associated Press.

The numbers behind the AP call

At 8:42 p.m. Central, the Associated Press election result shown in the election-night update had 78.10% of the vote reported. Bottoms was leading with 54.85%, or 1,895,900 votes, compared with 45.15% and 1,560,425 votes for Jackson.

Those figures are an election-night snapshot from the results screen, not final certified totals. The AP has called the race for Bottoms, but election officials still have to complete the canvass and certification process.

A historic win for Georgia

Bottoms is set to become the first Black woman elected governor in United States history. Her victory also puts Georgia’s top state office in Democratic hands for the first time since 1998, according to the Associated Press.

For Bottoms, the win marks another chapter in a career that has included serving as Atlanta’s 60th mayor from 2018 to 2022 and later working as a senior adviser to President Joe Biden. She campaigned on issues including healthcare access, affordability, and expanding opportunities for working families.

What happens next?

Winning the governor’s race is a major shift, but the work of governing comes next. The balance of power in Georgia’s legislature will help determine how much of Bottoms’ agenda can move forward.

This is bigger than a headline about who won. Georgia voters have chosen a new direction for the governor’s office, and the decisions made by this administration will affect families, businesses, schools, healthcare, and communities across the state.

Sources:
The Associated Press: Democrat Keisha Bottoms wins election for governor in Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia election results
Keisha Lance Bottoms — Official campaign biography
Photo source and public-domain information: Wikimedia Commons