The former Atlanta mayor becomes the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state, eight years after Stacey Abrams’ groundbreaking Georgia campaign.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Florida A&M University graduate and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., has won Georgia’s governor’s race, becoming the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history.
The Democrat and former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican healthcare executive Rick Jackson in the Nov. 3 election. Her victory will return the governor’s office to Democratic control for the first time since 2003. She will succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who could not seek a third consecutive term.
Bottoms campaigned on lowering costs for Georgia families, strengthening education and expanding access to healthcare, including Medicaid expansion.
A FAMU graduate heads to the governor’s mansion
Before her career took her to Atlanta City Hall and the White House, Bottoms earned her undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University. She later earned her law degree from Georgia State University.
Bottoms served on the Atlanta City Council before leading the city as mayor from 2018 to 2022. She later served as a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Her membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., connects her to a sisterhood whose longstanding commitments include public service and civic engagement. Her election adds another milestone to the leadership legacy of HBCU graduates and Black women in public office.
Before Bottoms, there was Stacey Abrams
Bottoms’ victory comes eight years after Stacey Abrams became the first Black woman nominated for governor by a major U.S. political party.
Abrams ran against Kemp in 2018 and again in 2022, losing both elections. Her campaigns and voter mobilization efforts helped strengthen the diverse Democratic coalition that made Georgia an increasingly competitive political battleground.
“Georgians spoke clearly for a brighter direction for our state,” Abrams wrote on her social media, congratulating Bottoms. “Thank you to every organizer and volunteer who made sure those voices were heard. Let’s get to work.”
Women firsts all over
When she takes office, Bottoms will begin a new chapter for Georgia and for Black women’s representation in American government.
Bottoms is among other historical firsts in U.S. politics. In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinajosa won the governor’s seat and will be the first Latina governor in U.S. history. And in New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor in U.S. history. Also, the U.S. Virgin Islands elected Stacey Plaskett as their first woman governor to lead.
