Bottoms Wins Georgia Governor, Donalds Wins Florida, Both Making History in Close Races

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, won Georgia's governor race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, becoming the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. In Florida, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds won that state's governorship in a closer-than-expected contest. Bottoms, 56, defeated Republican billionaire Rick Jackson, whose personal spending was reported at more than $100 million and at more than $200 million. She succeeds term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who leaves office in January. It is Georgia's first Democratic governor in more than 20 years. Bottoms campaigned days before the vote with Sen. Jon Ossoff, who was re-elected, and with former President Barack Obama. In Florida, the Associated Press called the race for Donalds, 48, over Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman, shortly after 9 p.m. Eastern. He led by about one to 1.3 points with 95 to 98 percent of votes counted. Donalds raised more than $140 million, roughly seven times Jolly's total, and succeeds term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. He is described as the first Black Republican elected governor in America.

Right-leaning coverage, from the Daily Mail and Breitbart, is about Florida. The Daily Mail leads with a "massive scare" for Trump's pick, noting that Trump carried the state by 13 points two years ago and that voters soured on the economy, costs and data centers. It suggests Trump's endorsement may have hurt Donalds and notes Democratic gains nationally. Breitbart calls it a "nail-biter," credits DeSantis and pandemic-era policies, and attacks Jolly's pandemic record. Left-leaning outlets, The Guardian and NPR, cover Georgia. They lead with Bottoms' historic win and the Democratic flip. The Guardian adds that Jackson's heavy spending on 2020 protest imagery failed, calling it a sign of tides turning against Trump and Republicans. Both sides stress history-making wins and tight margins, but they cover different states and draw opposite conclusions about the national mood. Al Jazeera and The Times of India largely match the left's Georgia focus.