On election night in Georgia, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the state's next governor, defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson. The moment would end nearly three decades of Republican control of the governor's mansion, a stretch that began in 2002 and carried through two administrations. It also reflects a state that has shifted from a reliable Republican stronghold into a contested battleground, and it may mark a historic first for the office. The call still awaits the official count and the outcome's full confirmation.
Keisha Lance Bottoms Projected to Win Georgia Governorship, Flipping the Mansion Blue for First Time Since 1998
Georgia hadn't elected a Democratic governor since 1998.
Mark
Why is this race getting so much attention beyond Georgia?
Mimi
Two reasons. Democrats haven't won the governor's office there since Roy Barnes in 1998, and Bottoms would be the first Black woman elected governor in the country.
Luke
Keep in mind this is a projection from Fox News Decision Desk. It's not a certified result yet.
Mark
Right. What did the two campaigns actually argue about?
Mimi
Bottoms pushed Medicaid expansion, a higher minimum wage, and better pay for public employees. Jackson wanted to phase out the state income tax and sold himself as a businessman outsider.
Mark
And the money?
Mimi
Jackson put more than $200 million of his own into it. Bottoms made that a line of attack and tried to link him to Trump.
Luke
Worth noting the source tells us what the campaigns said about each other, not how much any of it moved voters. We don't have vote margins or exit polling here.
Mark
Does Ossoff's win tell us anything?
Mimi
It shows Democrats did well in the state on the same night, but the reporting doesn't say how the two races connect.
Luke
Agreed. Nothing in the source explains why voters chose as they did, so any story about the reason is still unproven.
El Pulso
- A network projection has put a long-held Republican governor's seat in Democratic hands, and the margin of the call is landing on election night.
- Jackson's more than $200 million in self-funding has drawn sharp scrutiny, while Bottoms has pressed on his ties to Trump.
- Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor and Biden White House advisor, is set to make history as Georgia's first female governor and the first Black woman elected governor in the nation.
- The result is a projection, not a certified count, so the official tally and Jackson's response will determine how firmly the outcome settles.
- Bottoms' agenda on Medicaid expansion, minimum wage, and public pay now faces the test of governing a state that has become a presidential battleground.
On election night in Georgia, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the state's next governor, defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson. The moment would end nearly three decades of Republican control of the governor's mansion, a stretch that began in 2002 and carried through two administrations. It also reflects a state that has shifted from a reliable Republican stronghold into a contested battleground, and it may mark a historic first for the office. The call still awaits the official count and the outcome's full confirmation.
Fox News Decision Desk projected late on election night that Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms will be Georgia's next governor, defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson. If the call holds, she will be the first woman to hold the office in the state and the first Black woman elected governor anywhere in the country.
The result would end a long Republican grip on the governor's mansion. Georgia last elected a Democrat in 1998, when Roy Barnes won. Republicans took the seat in 2002 with Sonny Perdue and kept it through Nathan Deal and Brian Kemp. With Kemp term-limited, the 2026 race was open.
Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor from 2018 to 2022, later served in the Biden White House. Jackson, a first-time candidate and wealthy healthcare executive, put more than $200 million of his own money into the race after defeating Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who had Trump's endorsement, in the GOP runoff.
Bottoms campaigned on expanding Medicaid, raising the minimum wage, and boosting public employee pay. Jackson promised to phase out the state income tax and cast himself as a businessman who would run government differently. Jackson attacked Bottoms' Atlanta record, while she focused on his spending and his ties to Trump.
The race reflects how much Georgia has changed. It went to Biden narrowly in 2020 and back to Trump in 2024. The same decision desk also projected that Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection.
This is a network call, not a final certified result. Next come the official count, whether Jackson concedes, and how Bottoms' priorities fare once she takes office.
Fox News Decision Desk projected late on election night that Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms will be the next governor of Georgia, defeating Republican businessman Rick Jackson. If the projection holds, she becomes the first woman to hold the office in the state and the first Black woman elected governor anywhere in the United States.
The result would break a long Republican grip on the governor's mansion. Georgia last elected a Democratic governor in 1998, when Roy Barnes won and took office the following year. Republicans took the seat in 2002 with Sonny Perdue and have held it since, through the administrations of Nathan Deal and Brian Kemp. Kemp was term-limited, which left the 2026 race open.
Bottoms is a former mayor of Atlanta, a post she held from 2018 to 2022. She later joined Joe Biden's White House as a senior advisor and director of the Office of Public Engagement. She came out of the Democratic primary to meet Jackson in the general election.
Jackson ran as a first-time candidate and a wealthy healthcare executive. He put more than $200 million of his own money into the campaign. Before facing Bottoms, he beat Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who had Donald Trump's endorsement, in the Republican primary runoff.
The two campaigns offered different programs. Bottoms ran on expanding Medicaid, raising the state minimum wage, and increasing pay for public employees. Jackson called for phasing out Georgia's income tax and pitched himself as an outsider who would bring a businessman's approach to running state government.
The attacks followed a similar split. Jackson repeatedly went after Bottoms' record as Atlanta mayor. Bottoms focused on the scale of his self-funding and tried to tie him to Trump.
The race drew national attention because of how much Georgia has changed politically. Once a dependable Republican stronghold, it is now a presidential battleground. Biden narrowly won it in 2020, the first Democratic presidential win there since Bill Clinton in 1992. Trump took it back for the Republicans in 2024.
The same decision desk also projected that Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff won reelection, adding to the night's results for Democrats in the state.
The projection is a call by the network, not a final certified result. What to watch next is the official count and whether Jackson concedes, followed by how Bottoms' priorities fare in Georgia state government once she takes office.
Citas Notables
Fox News Decision Desk projects Bottoms will become Georgia's first female governor and the first Black woman elected governor in American history.— Fox News Decision Desk projection
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Politics & Governance