Democrat breaks GOP’s hold on Georgia as Byron Donalds becomes Florida’s first Black governor
Keisha Lance Bottoms made history Tuesday night, becoming the first Black woman elected governor in the United States and returning Georgia’s highest office to Democratic control for the first time in more than two decades.
Bottoms, 56, a former Atlanta mayor and senior adviser to President Joe Biden, defeated Republican Rick Jackson, a billionaire health care executive endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Her victory ends a Republican winning streak in Georgia gubernatorial elections dating to 2002, when Sonny Perdue defeated Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes. Bottoms will succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who was barred by term limits from seeking reelection.
Bottoms served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, protests over racial injustice and concerns about violent crime. She chose not to seek a second term before joining the Biden administration.
Her campaign focused on rising living costs and opposition to Trump administration policies. She proposed allowing local governments to eliminate sales taxes on groceries, eliminating state income taxes for public school teachers and temporarily halting construction of new data centers.
Although Democrats reclaimed the governor’s office, Bottoms could face resistance from a legislature that has remained under Republican control.
Another historic election unfolded in neighboring Florida, where Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly to become that state’s first Black governor. Donalds, 48, a prominent Trump ally, will succeed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, extending his party’s control of the Florida governor’s office to nearly three decades.
The two victories marked significant milestones in Black political representation, even as the candidates represented opposing parties and sharply different political agendas.
Their elections came during a consequential midterm election in which Democrats gained ground in several Republican strongholds as voters weighed Trump’s leadership, economic concerns and the direction of the country.