November 3, 2026
History has been made in Georgia as former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is projected to become the state’s next governor, defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson in one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterm elections.
With her projected victory, Bottoms becomes the first Black woman elected governor in American history. She is also set to become Georgia’s first female governor and its first Black governor, breaking barriers that have stood since the state’s founding in 1788.
The significance of the moment extends far beyond party politics.
Georgia, the birthplace of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has long occupied a central place in America’s struggle for racial equality and voting rights. From segregation and voter suppression to the civil rights movement and the election of Black political leaders, the state’s history reflects generations of Americans fighting for greater representation.
Now, a Black woman is preparing to occupy Georgia’s highest executive office for the first time.
Bottoms previously served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022 and later held a senior advisory role in President Joe Biden’s administration. Her political career has included navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, nationwide protests over racial injustice and major debates about public safety and economic development.
Her victory also represents a significant change in Georgia’s political leadership. Republicans have controlled the governor’s office since 2003, following Sonny Perdue’s defeat of Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes in 2002.
During her gubernatorial campaign, Bottoms emphasized expanding Medicaid, improving access to affordable housing, protecting voting rights and addressing rising costs for working families. Those priorities are expected to shape her administration as she prepares to succeed outgoing Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
For Black women across the United States, the election marks a historic first in a political system where they have served as organizers, legislators, mayors and national leaders but had never previously won a governorship.
The moment is particularly significant in Georgia, where Black women have played influential roles in voter registration, community organizing and statewide political campaigns.
While the election-night projection awaits the completion and certification of official results, its historical implications are already clear.
More than two centuries after Georgia became a state, voters are projected to have elected a Black woman to lead it for the first time.
And in doing so, Georgia has become the setting for another defining moment in American political history.
