Bottoms Wins Georgia as First Black Woman Governor; Ossoff Reelected

“No matter who you voted for tonight, I will be a governor for all of Georgia,” Keisha Lance Bottoms told a chanting crowd at her victory party in Atlanta, News4JAX reported. The former Atlanta mayor had just defeated Republican Rick Jackson in Georgia’s governor’s race, capturing 1,908,261 votes to Jackson’s share of the tally as 99.9% of precincts reported — a win that makes Bottoms the first Black woman ever elected governor of any state in the nation.

The race drew national attention from the start. The seat was open because Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited, and Bottoms campaigned less on the historic nature of her candidacy than on pocketbook issues and resistance to Washington. She told voters she wanted a leader “who will put Georgia first and who will stand up to all the chaos coming out of Washington, DC.” Her message, delivered to cheers of “Keisha! Keisha!”, framed the election as a referendum on economic fairness as much as on history.

LIVE: Keisha Lance Bottoms delivers victory speech after Georgia election win

A Democratic Sweep Across the Peach State Ballot

Bottoms was not the only Democrat winning Tuesday night. Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, 39, defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins for a second six-year term, taking 1,711,322 votes in a contest that Republicans had targeted heavily. Ossoff began the cycle as the only Senate Democrat running for reelection in a state that Donald Trump carried in 2024, and he ran accordingly — as an aggressive Trump critic whose attacks on “a failed president” filled voters’ social media feeds nationwide.

Ossoff addressed supporters Tuesday night and kept the same tone: “The American people have rebuked the depravity, corruption and incompetence of the failed lame duck president Donald J. Trump.” He added: “Together, we’ve affirmed that our task is not just to contain one president’s wickedness, but to heal the brokenness beneath.”

Instagram

Democrats carried every statewide office on the ballot. Josh McLaurin won lieutenant governor, Penny Reynolds secretary of state, Tanya Miller attorney general, Katherine Juhan-Arnold agriculture commissioner, Nikki Porcher labor commissioner, Lydia Powell school superintendent, and Keisha Sean Waites insurance commissioner.

“Congratulations to Jon Ossoff, the Democratic Party of Georgia, and all the organizers throughout the state who delivered this resounding victory. As an accomplished senator who always puts Georgia first, Jon knows how to hold Republicans accountable, root out corruption, and deliver for working families.” — DNC Chair Ken Martin

Three Constitutional Amendments Pass

Voters also approved three amendments to the state constitution. Amendment 1 raises the acreage limit for land eligible for conservation-use property tax treatment from 2,000 acres to 4,000 acres per owner — a change aimed at larger farming and timber operations. Amendment 2 requires probate judges statewide to run in nonpartisan elections without party labels, though it does not change their duties or terms. Amendment 3 lets lawmakers create a dedicated fund for expanding, maintaining, and operating 911 systems, including upgrades to Next Generation 911, without creating a new tax or fee or changing the current phone-service charge.