Election 2026LiveSenate52 Dem · 41 Rep · 7 to callHouse205 Dem · 123 Rep · 107 to callGovernors24 Dem · 18 Rep · 8 to callUpdated 00:58 ET · AP race calls
ABRAnews Three sides to every story.
US Politics

Georgia elects Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the first Black woman elected US governor

The former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican billionaire Rick Jackson to succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was term-limited.

Keisha Lance Bottoms in 2022
Keisha Lance Bottoms in 2022. Photo: Executive Office of the President of the United States, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
26 news outlets reported this
Liberal9 outletsA historic Democratic win over a Trump-aligned billionaireCenter6 outletsBottoms wins and flips a Republican-held governorshipConservative11 outletsResults, money and campaign promises behind Bottoms' win
Published 3 min read
Overview

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, won the race for Georgia governor on Tuesday, defeating Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire healthcare businessman. The Associated Press declared her the winner at 9:24 p.m. EST. Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected governor in the US and the first Democrat elected to the office in Georgia since 1998.

She succeeds Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was term-limited. Jackson, a first-time candidate endorsed by President Trump, largely paid for his own campaign. The Epoch Times says he spent about $213 million, while Bottoms spent $11.4 million.

Bottoms, who also worked in Joe Biden's administration, campaigned on expanding , lowering costs and pausing new data center construction. Jackson pledged to cut the state income tax in half in his first term. Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff also won re-election the same night, defeating Republican Rep. Mike Collins.

The Daily Caller reports that Bottoms will be sworn in on January 11, once the election is certified.

Key figures
  • $213 million spent by Jackson, according to The Epoch Times — The Epoch Times
  • $11.4 million spent by Bottoms, according to The Epoch Times — The Epoch Times
  • 1,841,860 votes to 1,491,600 Bottoms versus Jackson with 78% counted, per Decision Desk HQ — The Daily Signal

Three sides of the story

Liberal9 outlets

A historic Democratic win over a Trump-aligned billionaire

The Guardian calls the result "an upset for Republicans" and says Jackson had been favored until recent days. It reads the win as "a sign of tides turning against Donald Trump." The Daily Beast headlines the win as a Democrat's victory over a " Billionaire," noting that Jackson pledged to be Trump's "favorite governor" and that his self-funding was not enough.

NBC News widens the frame: Bottoms, Maryland's Wes Moore and Florida's Byron Donalds mean multiple elected Black governors will serve at once for the first time. It quotes Donalds calling his own history-making candidacy "very special." Al Jazeera English says Jackson spent more than $200m and that Bottoms was propelled to victory "in part" by Black voters, who turned out heavily in .

It notes Republican attempts to portray her time as mayor as "a crime-ridden decline" and quotes her: "It's a longstanding playbook to paint Atlanta as this big bad place." The Guardian adds her pledges on affordability, Medicaid and abortion access.

Center6 outlets

Bottoms wins and flips a Republican-held governorship

Newsweek says Bottoms flipped a governor's mansion Republicans had held for over two decades. It sets the 72-year-old Jackson's foster-care biography against her record as mayor and quotes his line "bad mayors don't make good governors." It also quotes Bottoms at the debate: "I'm not running to be his favorite governor."

It adds that Republican candidates faced Trump's falling approval ratings and voter frustration over costs and the Iran war. The Seattle Times keeps to the basics: Bottoms is the first former Atlanta mayor elected Georgia governor and the first Democrat to win since 1998, and the Associated Press called it at 9:24 p.m. EST. The Hill, citing Decision Desk HQ, reports that Bottoms is projected to win and that the governor's office moves from Republican to Democratic hands for the first time in more than twenty years.

NewsNation's live-results piece reports Bottoms projected to defeat Jackson.

Conservative11 outlets

Results, money and campaign promises behind Bottoms' win

The Daily Signal leads with Decision Desk HQ numbers, 55.3% to 44.6% with 78% counted, and says Bottoms is the first Democrat to lead the state since 2003. The Center Square says the race "defied the polls" that showed a tight contest. It notes Jackson's "Bad mayors don't make good governors" refrain and that the race was called two hours after Ossoff's win.

The Epoch Times counts the money, about $213 million spent by Jackson against $11.4 million by Bottoms. It quotes University of Georgia professor Jamie Carson on Jackson's resources. It reports his vow to enact term limits and says he firmly supports law enforcement.

It also cites voters who disliked Bottoms' time as mayor. The Daily Caller's headline, "Dems Win Georgia Gov And Race," covers Ossoff's win and House seats. It says Bottoms will be sworn in on January 11 after certification.

Where outlets disagree
  • Who led the count at about 71-72% counted
    • Newsweek: Jackson 56%, Bottoms 44%, with 72% counted
    • The Hill: Bottoms ahead by about 11 points, with 71% counted
All sources: 27 articles from 26 outlets

Liberal (10)

Center (6)

Conservative (11)

Related
Medicaid

Public health coverage for people with low incomes, paid by the federal government and the states. The rules differ by state.

All terms →
MAGA

“Make America Great Again”: Donald Trump's slogan since his first presidential campaign, now also the name of his political movement and its supporters.

All terms →
Early voting

Voting in person before Election Day. Each state sets the dates and rules.

All terms →
Senate

The upper chamber of Congress: 100 senators, two per state, elected for six years. It confirms judges and ministers and approves treaties.

All terms →