Keisha Lance Bottoms Beats Rick Jackson, Becomes First Black Woman Governor

Keisha Lance Bottoms emerged victorious in Georgia's gubernatorial election on Tuesday, becoming the first Black woman to hold the position in the nation's history. The race saw Bottoms, the 56-year-old former mayor of Atlanta, defeat 72-year-old billionaire health entrepreneur Rick Jackson, who had previously held the governor's mansion for over two decades.

With 72% of the votes counted, Jackson secured 56% of the vote, while Bottoms claimed 44%. As Georgia is considered a crucial battleground state, this win could significantly impact the outcome of the midterms, given that it was carried by Republican President Donald Trump in the 2024 election, following his victory over Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

President Trump endorsed Jackson, praising his phenomenal performance in a rally in July. However, in the weeks leading up to the election, Jackson shifted his focus away from Trump, emphasizing his own background of overcoming adversity, including spending his childhood in foster care and running a successful business at the age of 21.

Bottoms, on the other hand, highlighted Jackson's potential allegiance to Trump, claiming he would work for the president rather than Georgians. She criticized his handling of protests following the 2020 police killings of Rayshard Brooks and George Floyd in Atlanta and Minneapolis. Bottoms campaigned on expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and increasing the pay of teachers, firefighters, and police officers, while Jackson aimed to cut Georgia's personal income tax in half by the end of his first term and promised to raise wages for public employees if elected.