Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson Tuesday, becoming Georgia's first woman governor and America's first Black woman governor.
The big picture: Bottoms' win broke three barriers at once: she will be Georgia's first woman governor, its first Black governor and the first Black woman to lead any US state. The victory also ends more than two decades of Republican control of the office.
- Bottoms served as Atlanta mayor from 2018 to 2022 and later as a senior adviser in the Biden administration. She previously sat on the Atlanta City Council.
- Republicans had held Georgia's governor's mansion since Sonny Perdue defeated Democratic incumbent Roy Barnes in 2002.
The backstory: Bottoms cleared 50% in a crowded Democratic primary in May, avoiding a runoff. Jackson, a billionaire health care executive who grew up in poverty and Atlanta public housing, won the Republican nomination after his own runoff.
The other side: Jackson ran as a political outsider emphasizing jobs, economic development and small businesses. Bottoms campaigned on health care access, family costs, voting rights, affordable housing and economic opportunity.
What's next: Bottoms succeeds term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Her campaign proposals included expanding Medicaid, exempting teachers from state income taxes and increasing access to affordable housing, all of which will require cooperation from Georgia lawmakers.
Why it matters: The milestone carries national weight, but the governing test is local: turning an historic victory into lower costs and broader health coverage in a state where control of the legislature can constrain the governor's agenda.
