Bottoms wins Georgia governorship by 360,000 votes
The former Atlanta mayor secured a decisive victory, becoming the state's first female governor and the first Black woman to hold the office in U.S. history.
By Sarah Montgomery ·
Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson by approximately 360,000 votes in the Georgia gubernatorial race. With 99% of the vote counted Wednesday morning, the margin represented a clear mandate for the former Atlanta mayor. The result stands as one of the largest victories for a Democrat in the state in recent decades.
Bottoms will assume office in January. She becomes the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. governor and the first woman to lead Georgia. She also joins a cohort of 17 women currently holding governorships nationwide, a record high for the office.
The winner learned of her victory through a physical nudge from her husband. Bottoms told Gayle King on CBS Mornings that she was wearing earbuds to draft her acceptance speech when her husband, seated on the sofa nearby, kicked her. He announced that the race had been called. Her son Langston subsequently entered the room and jumped on top of her. The network projected the winner by 9:30 p.m. ET, shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m. ET.
Bottoms expressed surprise at the size of the margin. She expected a much tighter contest given the state's recent status as a political swing zone. "I thought it could be much closer," she said. "I knew that we had done the work, but Georgia has always, for the past few years, been a purple state."
The incoming governor outlined her initial legislative priorities. She intends to focus on the cost of living and education in her first budget. Specific proposals include allowing local governments to suspend or eliminate the grocery tax. She also plans to expand Medicaid and fully fund pre-K programs.
Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who has held the office since 2019, will step down. Bottoms noted the presence of other female governors in the country. She referenced a comment by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer regarding the historical number of governors named John compared to women. "I'm grateful to now be counted in the number," Bottoms said.
The election concluded Wednesday night. Bottoms' victory cements her position as a key figure in the state's political future. She will now begin the transition process to take the oath of office in January.
