Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Georgia gubernatorial election
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won Georgia’s governor’s race Tuesday, becoming the first Black woman elected governor in the United States and the state’s first woman governor. She defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson, who invested more than $200 million of his own money, The Associated Press reported. Bottoms campaigned on expanding Medicaid and raising wages.
More context
Keisha Lance Bottoms prevailed in Tuesday’s Georgia gubernatorial contest, making her the first Black woman elected governor nationwide and the first woman to hold Georgia’s governorship. The Associated Press, in a report carried by The Haitian Times, said Bottoms defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson. Her victory returns Georgia’s governor’s office to Democrats for the first time since 1998, AP reported. Jackson invested more than $200 million of his own money in the race, according to AP. In her campaign, Bottoms backed expanding Medicaid and boosting wages. Her win, alongside Florida governor-elect Byron Donalds’ victory, means at least three Black governors will serve simultaneously for the first time, Stateline reported. The group includes Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
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Reporting
- Oregon Public Broadcasting — These 9 candidates for governor made history in the 2026 election - OPB
- CBS News — Black candidates for governor make history with 2026 midterm victories - CBS News
- PBS News — Democrats win governorships in Texas and other GOP-controlled states in rebuke to Republicans | PBS News
- ABC News — These candidates made history in the 2026 midterm elections - ABC News
- haitiantimes.com — Keisha Lance Bottoms elected Georgia governor, becoming first Black woman to lead a U.S. state - The Haitian Times
- msmagazine.com — Women Will Hold at Least One-Third of Governorships—a Record. Now Let’s Make It Last. - Ms. Magazine
- stateline.org — In historic night, voters elect first Black woman, first Black Republican as governors • Stateline
Verifier’s note
OPB/NPR, CBS News, The Haitian Times, Ms. Magazine, PBS News, ABC News, and Stateline all report Bottoms’s historic Georgia victory; ABC News describes it as projected, which is consistent with the confirmed results in the other reports. The Haitian Times and PBS News carry AP reporting, so they represent the same wire-source report rather than independent reporting from each other.