Bottoms wins Georgia governor's race to become first Black woman governor

Thomas Wheatley

Keisha Lance Bottoms speaks at a podium — Keisha Lance Bottoms speaks at a midterm campaign rally. Photo: Erik S. Lesser/AFP via Getty Images

Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become the first Black woman governor in U.S. history, the Associated Press projects.

Why it matters: Bottoms' win flips the battleground state's governor's office from red to blue for the first time in more than two decades, setting the stage for a partisan power play the Georgia Capitol hasn't felt since the early 2000s.

Zoom in: Bottoms, who served a single term as Atlanta mayor that covered the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest over police violence, was vastly outmatched in dollars by Jackson, who spent more than $200 million of his own money on the run — his first-ever campaign for public office.

National Democratic funders stepped in, and campaign stops alongside U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, former President Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris energized her base.

Worth noting: Her win opens an easier path for Ossoff or his fellow U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock to seek the White House in 2028, since she could temporarily appoint their successor should either win the presidency.

What we're watching: Lame-duck Georgia Republicans might choose to return to the Capitol for a special session to redraw political maps and rein in the next governor's powers.

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Bottoms wins Georgia governor's race to become first Black woman governor

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