Keisha Lance Bottoms Wins Georgia Governor's Race, First Black Woman Elected Governor in US
Photo: The Guardian USDemocrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, won Georgia's governor's race on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, defeating Republican billionaire Rick Jackson and becoming the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. state, according to media projections. Her win ends more than 20 years of Republican control of the governor's office, and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp was term-limited. Reported tallies varied by time: Decision Desk HQ had Bottoms at 55.3% to Jackson's 44.6% with 78% counted, while NBC News had her ahead 54.2% to 45.8% with about 85% counted. President Donald Trump had endorsed Jackson in July and campaigned with him near Atlanta, and former President Barack Obama rallied for Bottoms in late October. Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff was also re-elected, defeating Rep. Mike Collins. Bottoms was mayor from 2018 to 2022 and later worked in the Biden White House. Democrats also won governorships in Texas, Ohio and Iowa, and Georgia, Maryland and Florida will now have Black governors serving at the same time for the first time.
Left-leaning outlets treat Georgia as one part of a bigger story. The Guardian US leads with Democrats aiming to win most governorships, citing Gina Hinojosa's upset of Greg Abbott in Texas, Amy Acton's win over Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio and Rob Sand's victory in Iowa. NBC News frames the night as a historic first for Black governors, listing Wes Moore, Byron Donalds, Deval Patrick and Doug Wilder, quoting Donalds and noting five more Black candidates on the ballot. The Blaze and The Daily Signal stay on the Georgia race and its numbers, citing NBC News and Decision Desk HQ respectively. The Blaze calls the result a stunning upset and says Jackson ran toward the middle, while the Daily Signal uses a plainer headline. Both sides agree Bottoms won and made history, but the right-leaning excerpts omit the other states and the Black governors milestone. The Hindu adds a distinct angle, calling the result a setback for Trump.
How the sides differ Left sources place Bottoms' win within wider Democratic gains and Black governor milestones; right sources focus on Georgia's vote percentages and the Bottoms-Jackson race itself.
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The Guardian US leads with a Democratic sweep across Texas, Georgia, Ohio and Iowa, while NBC News centers on the first time multiple elected Black governors will serve together, quoting Byron Donalds.
The Hindu reports Bottoms' win as a setback for Trump, noting Obama's rally and Ossoff's re-election, while TMZ briefly reports the historic win and Jackson's spending.
- The Daily SignalKeisha Lance Bottoms Secures Victory in Georgia Governor’s Race
The Blaze and The Daily Signal focus on Bottoms' defeat of Rick Jackson, citing vote percentages from NBC News and Decision Desk HQ, with The Blaze calling it a stunning upset.