Keisha Lance Bottoms Becomes First Black Woman Elected Governor in US History

• Keisha Lance Bottoms won Georgia's gubernatorial race on Tuesday, making history as the first Black woman elected governor of a US state
• The former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson in one of America's most competitive political battlegrounds
• Bottoms' win came eight years after Stacey Abrams first broke barriers as the first Black woman nominated for governor by a major US party

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

Georgia, USA - Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat and former mayor of Atlanta, won Georgia's gubernatorial election on Tuesday, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of any US state and the first woman to hold the office in Georgia's history.

56-year-old Bottoms made history as Georgia’s first Black and first woman governor, defeating Republican Rick Jackson.

As reported by USAToday, ending the GOP’s 24-year hold on the office. She is also the nation’s first Black female governor.

She succeeds Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who is departing after completing two consecutive terms in office.

Bottoms' election on Tuesday represents the most prominent breakthrough for Black women in gubernatorial history.

According to Reuters, Bottoms also previously served as a senior adviser to former President Joe Biden and as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Historic night for black women in American politics

The same evening brought a second milestone: Stacey Plaskett was elected governor of the US V!rgin Islands, making her the first Black woman elected governor of any US jurisdiction.

In Florida, Republican US Representative Byron Donalds won his race for governor, becoming the first Black Republican elected to that office in the country.

Bottoms' victory signals a significant turning point in Georgia state politics. Black voters have been central to the Democratic coalition that gradually transformed the traditionally Republican state into a national battleground, and Republicans had controlled the governorship there for more than two decades before Tuesday's result.

Building on Stacey Abrams' legacy

The win arrives eight years after fellow Democrat Stacey Abrams became the first Black woman nominated for governor by a major US political party.

Abrams lost gubernatorial contests in Georgia in both 2018 and 2022, but her campaigns built a broad, multigenerational and multiracial coalition that raised Democratic turnout, contributed to the election of two Democratic US senators and helped deliver Georgia's electoral votes to a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time in decades.

Black women have long formed a core voting bloc within the Democratic Party, yet they have remained significantly underrepresented in the country's highest elected offices.

Legit.ng earlier reported that former US President Barack Obama broke his silence on the US midterm election results, saying Americans sent a clear message.

Trump discloses why Republicans suffered heavy defeat

In a similar story, Legit.ng reported that President Donald Trump publicly attributed part of the Republican heavy midterm defeat to Iran.

Trump warned he would veto any legislation he considered 'insane' that Democrats might pass.

The US president linked voter behaviour during the midterms to public concerns over petrol prices.