Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican candidate Rick Jackson in the race for Georgia Governor with 54.3%% of the vote. Jackson followed with 45.7% of the vote.
What Keisha Lance Bottoms had to say in her victory speech:
- “Thank you, Georgia. I am honored to be your 84th governor. I spoke with Rick Jackson just a while ago, and I thanked him for a hard-fought race, and we agreed that together we would continue to support foster children across this state, and no matter who you voted for tonight, I will be a governor for all of Georgia.”
What Rick Jackson had to say:
- Via his Official X: “Georgia, thank you. Thank you to everyone who believed in this campaign, who knocked doors, made calls, sent texts, put up signs, prayed for us, and stood with us. Thank you to my family - Melody, Shane, Chad, Dana, and all of the grandkids. I know this has not been easy on you. Every person, every story I heard on this journey, touched my heart and will always be carried with me.”
What can Georgia expect from Keisha Lance Bottoms? Bottoms ran on a platform of lowering health care costs, making housing affordable, modernizing education, and protecting small businesses.
She also ran on more progressive issues like protecting abortion access, adjusting public safety, and treating climate change like a serious threat. With this in mind, her governorship is not likely to resemble that of Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) or his predecessors.
What does this mean for Georgia politically? This result is a massive blow to Georgia Republicans, who maintained a stronghold on the governorship for almost 25 years. It also cements Georgia as a blue state at least for the next four years, which is unprecedented in recent history.
Georgia Republicans, now on the back foot, may have to reinvent their strategy as they head into 2028 and, more importantly, 2030.
All things considered, Rick Jackson ran a strong campaign, with multiple high-level endorsements and over $200 million spent on television, cable, and mail advertising. If that wasn’t enough, Georgia Republicans may need to consider some serious revisions heading into the future.
