Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Georgia governor’s race

Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has won Georgia’s race for governor, according to NBC News projections. She defeated Republican Rick Jackson, marking the first time a Democrat has won the state’s governor’s race in 24 years.

Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta and a former Biden administration official, overcame a significant spending disadvantage. Jackson, a wealthy healthcare executive, spent more than $100 million on his campaign.

Bottoms is the first woman and the first Black person elected governor of Georgia. She also holds the distinction of being the first Black female governor in U.S. history.

During the campaign, Bottoms focused on affordability and economic issues. She ran ads linking Jackson to former President Donald Trump and criticized him for making comments supportive of data center construction.

Jackson, who ran a contentious primary campaign, frequently compared himself to Trump. Bottoms used many of his own words against him in the general election. During their sole debate, Bottoms criticized Jackson for saying he wanted to be Trump’s favorite governor.

The election comes amid ongoing discussions about the 2020 election results, as the FBI seized election records related to that year. The governor will play a key role in certifying the 2028 presidential election results.

Jackson, a first-time candidate, initially positioned himself as an outsider in the mold of Trump during the primary. He later shifted to aligning himself with former governor Brian Kemp, who will step down due to term limits.