Georgia Elects Keisha Lance Bottoms as First Black Woman Governor

Georgia voters elected at least eight Black women to statewide executive offices Tuesday night, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. The sweep culminated in Keisha Lance Bottoms shattering one of the nation’s longest-standing political barriers to become the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state.

Starting in January, women will head multiple agencies responsible for education, agriculture, insurance, and labor policy, in addition to occupying a position on the commission that governs specific public utilities.

A Historic Victory for the Peach State

Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson with approximately 54% of the vote, ending nearly 24 years of Republican control of the governor’s office.

In big and small ways, we all have a part to play in building a better Georgia. Keisha Lance Bottoms is ready to get to work to expand access to affordable health care, strengthen our schools, make housing more affordable, and lead with compassion while standing against hate.… pic.twitter.com/dTzCXXjaBA

— https://x.com/KeishaForGA/status/2115509126117642358

“I don’t know what dreams Betsy Peek had for her children or for her grandchildren, or the generations that she would never meet,” Bottoms told supporters. “But I know I am standing on shoulders made of steel.”

Bottoms is the first Black woman among them.

The New Georgia Leadership

Bottoms was not alone in her historic achievement. Georgia voters elected a slate of women who will now lead the state’s key agencies:

Keisha Lance Bottoms makes history in Georgia governor race | FOX 5 News

Governor: Keisha Lance Bottoms
Secretary of State: Penny Brown Reynolds
Attorney General: Tanya Miller, the first woman elected to the position
Public Service Commission: Shelia Edwards

The victories mean women will oversee policy on everything from voting rights and criminal justice to agriculture, education, and insurance.

A New Agenda for the State

Throughout her campaign, Bottoms outlined a clear agenda focused on affordability, health care, education, and public safety. Her key proposals include expanding Medicaid eligibility, raising Georgia’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, and increasing pay for teachers, firefighters, and police officers. She has also promised to give local governments more flexibility to eliminate taxes on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products.

On education, Bottoms has called for fully funding Georgia’s pre-K program and expanding it to include 3-year-old children. Her transportation plans involve reducing state gas and diesel taxes and eliminating the 2.25% auto insurance premium tax, with a requirement that insurers pass the savings to consumers. Other notable ideas include a temporary halt on new data center development and a voter referendum on legalizing casino gambling.

Before this election, women held 77 of 236 seats in the Georgia General Assembly, accounting for 32.6% of lawmakers, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. The percentage had dropped from 34.7% in 2024.