By Islam El-Sakka
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms has won Georgia's gubernatorial election, defeating Republican Rick Jackson and flipping the governor's office for Democrats for the first time in 24 years, NBC News projects.
Historic firsts
Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta and a former Biden administration official, becomes the first woman and the first Black person elected governor of Georgia. The last Democrat to hold the office was elected in 1998.
Campaign dynamics
Bottoms overcame a significant spending disadvantage against Jackson, a wealthy healthcare executive who invested more than $100 million of his own money in the race. Her campaign emphasized affordability and economic issues, while also linking Jackson to former President Donald Trump, whose approval ratings were low in the state. Jackson had frequently compared himself to Trump during the Republican primary, providing Bottoms with material for the general election.
Key issues and debate
During their sole debate, Bottoms criticized Jackson for stating he wanted to be "Trump's favorite governor" and tied him to Trump's efforts to cast doubt on the 2020 election results. The issue remains salient in Georgia, where the FBI seized election records related to the 2020 election earlier this year, and the governor will play a critical role in certifying the 2028 presidential election results. Jackson initially refused to say who won the 2020 election but later acknowledged Joe Biden's victory.
Democratic support and Republican divisions
Bottoms aligned herself with popular Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who held joint rallies and transferred campaign funds to support her. High-profile Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Senator Raphael Warnock, campaigned for her. On the Republican side, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who lost to Jackson in a primary runoff and had Trump's endorsement, never publicly endorsed Jackson despite private urging from Trump.
Background on the candidates
Bottoms served as Atlanta mayor from 2018 to 2022, a tenure marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest; she did not seek re-election. Jackson, a first-time candidate who launched his campaign in February, portrayed himself as a successful businessman and political outsider in the mold of Trump during the primary, though he later shifted to associating himself with outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
