Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, won the race for Governor in the southern state of Georgia on Tuesday (November 3, 2026), making her the first Black woman elected to the top office in any US state, media projections showed.
Ms. Bottoms defeated billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson, the Republican candidate. Outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp was term-limited and could not run again. Her win returns the Governor’s office to Democrats after more than two decades of Republican control. The result is a setback for President Donald Trump, who endorsed Jackson in July and campaigned with him in the Atlanta area in the closing weeks of the race. Former President Barack Obama rallied for Ms. Bottoms in Georgia in late October.
During her campaign, Ms. Bottoms promised to expand Medicaid, lower costs for families and protect voting rights. Talarico defeated the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump, NBC News and CBS News projected.
Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff also won re-election on Tuesday (November 3, 2026), defeating Republican congressman Mike Collins, in a result that confirms Georgia’s status as a key swing state after it backed Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024. He spent more than $100 million of his own fortune on the campaign and defeated Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Trump’s original pick, in a June primary runoff. Earlier reporting noted: Democrats notched a string of early victories in U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday (November 3, 2026), flipping a Republican-held Senate seat and making inroads in conservative House districts as President Donald Trump faced the prospect of a bruising election setback.
Earlier reporting noted: Mr. Earlier reporting noted: The Opposition party also retained key Senate seats, while victory in Georgia’s Governor race added to mounting signs that Republicans face a difficult night.
