Keisha Lance Bottoms has won Georgia’s gubernatorial race, becoming the first Black woman to hold the office and ending 24 years of Republican control. Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, defeated Republican candidate Rick Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive who entered politics during the midterm elections and spent $200 million on his campaign.
Bottoms, 56, is the daughter of soul singer Major Lance. She studied law and worked as a magistrate before serving as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022. During her tenure, she led the city through the COVID-19 pandemic and tensions following George Floyd’s killing and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement. She later served as an adviser at the White House under the Biden administration.
During her campaign, Bottoms pledged to support legislation expanding health insurance and to make abortion access easier. She also received backing from prominent Democrats, including Barack Obama.
In her victory speech, Bottoms promised to serve all Georgians, regardless of how they voted, and said she would continue to love the people of the state.
Sources: La Repubblica.