Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, beat billionaire Republican businessman Rick Jackson in a close race for Georgia governor, marking the first time in more than three decades that a Democrat has won the state’s highest office and making Bottoms the first black woman governor in American history.
The race was called for Lance Bottoms by multiple networks shortly after 9.15 p.m. Eastern Time, with AP reiterating the victory at 9:24 p.m. It also comes as Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) won reelection, besting Republican Mike Collins in a huge night for Georgia Democrats.
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Georgia has become a crucial swing state where the new governor will shape future policy direction, particularly on healthcare, taxes, and the social safety net.
Jackson’s ability to secure the Republican nomination was noteworthy because he defeated the candidate that President Donald Trump had endorsed, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Jackson poured nearly $200 million of his own money into his campaign.
In the final two weeks of the election, Bottoms held a campaign event in Atlanta flanked by former President Barack Obama, while Jackson campaigned alongside Trump in Atlanta.
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Trump narrowly beat then-Vice President Kamala Harris in Georgia in the 2024 presidential election by roughly 2 percentage points. In the 2020 race, Trump lost the state to eventual victor Joe Biden by a fraction of 1 percentage point.
A RealClearPolitics average of polling conducted in September and October showed Jackson with a slim 1.2% advantage over Bottoms.