Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has made history as the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. The former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire who spent more than $200m of his personal fortune trying to succeed popular outgoing Governor Brian Kemp.
Black voters and early turnout helped drive the win
Bottoms, an adviser to former US President Joe Biden, was helped by the state’s large Black voting bloc, which turned out in big numbers during early voting.
During the campaign, Republicans tried to portray her time as Atlanta mayor as a period of crime and decline for the city. She pushed back, telling the Associated Press: “It’s a longstanding playbook to paint Atlanta as this big bad place.”
Also read: Democrat Roy Cooper wins North Carolina US Senate seat
Third straight Black woman nominee for Georgia Democrats
Her win is the third consecutive time Georgia Democrats have nominated a Black woman for governor. Stacey Abrams lost to Kemp in 2018 and 2022. Kemp leaves office in January after eight years due to term limits.
