The former Atlanta mayor defeated billionaire Rick Jackson to become Georgia’s first woman governor and its first Black governor

Keisha Lance Bottoms has made history in the United States. The Associated Press has called the Georgia governor’s race for the Democrat, making her the first Black woman ever elected governor of a U.S. state.

The win carries a string of firsts. Bottoms will be Georgia’s first woman governor and the state’s first Black governor.

A historic first for Georgia

For Black communities across the United States and the wider African diaspora, the result marks a milestone that took generations to reach.

Bottoms is also the first Democrat to win the Georgia governorship since 1998.

Victory against a $200 million campaign

Bottoms faced a steep financial challenge. Her Republican opponent, billionaire Rick Jackson, poured more than $200 million of his own money into the race. She still came out on top.

From Atlanta City Hall to the governor’s mansion

Bottoms is a former mayor of Atlanta and a former senior adviser in the Biden administration. Her single term at City Hall spanned the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests over police violence.

On the campaign trail, she pushed to expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands more Georgians and to raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour. She also vowed to protect Black voting rights.

Building on Stacey Abrams’ path

Bottoms walked a road that others paved. Stacey Abrams ran for the same office in 2018 and 2022 and fell short both times.

This time, the door opened.