Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Georgia governor race in historic vote
Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, defeated Republican Rick Jackson and returns the Georgia governorship to Democrats for the first time since 2003.
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won Georgia's governor race on Tuesday, becoming the first Black woman to win a US governorship, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
She beat Republican Rick Jackson, a wealthy healthcare executive who was making his first bid for public office.
Bottoms will succeed Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who cannot seek a third consecutive term because of state term limits.
Her victory also gives Democrats control of the governor's office in Georgia for the first time since 2003, and she is the first woman and first Black person to hold the post.
Bottoms was born in Atlanta and studied at Florida A&M University before earning a law degree from Georgia State University.
She worked as an attorney and served as a magistrate judge before entering politics.
She won a seat on the Atlanta City Council in 2009 and took office as the city's mayor in January 2018.
During her time as mayor, she led Atlanta through the COVID-19 pandemic and protests after the killing of George Floyd in 2020, and her administration faced criticism over rising violent crime.
She joined President Joe Biden's administration in 2022 as a senior adviser and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, a role she left in 2023.
Bottoms campaigned on expanding Medicaid, raising Georgia's minimum wage to $15 an hour, increasing public-sector pay and improving access to affordable housing.
She also called for limits on data center expansion, citing concerns about local infrastructure and communities.
Jackson criticized her record as mayor, particularly her handling of crime and protests.
Bottoms' win comes after Democrat Stacey Abrams lost Georgia's governor race in 2018 and 2022.