Keisha Lance Bottoms is projected to become the next Georgia governor, which would make her the first woman and first black individual elected to lead the state.
Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta and a former Biden administration official, ran against Republican Rick Jackson to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
She will become Georgia's first Democratic governor since Roy Barnes left office in 2003.
Decision Desk HQ projects Keisha Lance Bottoms wins the GA Governor General Election#DecisionMade: 9:13 PM EST
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 4, 2026
Follow live results here: https://t.co/wf4oimjxhc pic.twitter.com/TcXfZCdc61
NBC News shared further:
Like many Democrats across the country, Bottoms leaned heavily into a message focusing on affordability and economic issues. Down the late fall stretch, she also ran ads that hit Jackson over previous comments supporting the construction of data centers and linked Jackson to President Donald Trump, who faced low approval ratings in the state.
Throughout a contentious Republican primary this spring, Jackson had frequently compared himself to Trump, allowing Bottoms to use much of his own words against him during the general election.
During their sole general election debate last month, Bottoms slammed Jackson for having "said he wants to be Trump's favorite governor." She also attempted to tie Jackson to Trump's yearslong effort to sow doubt over the results of the 2020 election. The issue remains particularly pertinent in Georgia, as the FBI seized election records related to the 2020 election earlier this year, and the governor will play a critical role in the certification of the 2028 presidential election results.
Watch more below:
wow -- NBC calls the Georgia governor race for Keisha Lance Bottoms pic.twitter.com/GuOjIV75af
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 4, 2026
WJCL has more:
Bottoms grew up in Atlanta and graduated from Frederick Douglass High School. Her father was R&B singer Major Lance. She has spoken about his imprisonment on a drug charge and her mother's struggle to support the family, experiences that helped shape her interest in law and public service.
She earned an undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University and a law degree from Georgia State University. She and her husband, attorney Derek Bottoms, have four children.
An attorney and former magistrate judge, Bottoms served on the Atlanta City Council before becoming the city's 60th mayor. She held that office from 2018 to 2022.
Her single term included the coronavirus pandemic, racial justice protests and a rise in homicides that drew criticism during the governor's race. She did not seek reelection and later directed the White House Office of Public Engagement under President Joe Biden.
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