The Brief
- Keisha Lance Bottoms made national history Tuesday, defeating Republican Rick Jackson to become Georgia’s first female governor and the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state.
- At least eight women won Georgia statewide offices, including governor, attorney general, secretary of state and several other executive and regulatory positions. Women also won congressional races, although a complete statewide tally of legislative and local winners was not yet established.
- The election marked historic breakthroughs beyond Georgia, including victories by women in gubernatorial races in Texas and New Mexico, as women gained leadership positions previously held exclusively by men.
ATLANTA – Keisha Lance Bottoms shattered one of the nation’s longest-standing political barriers Tuesday, Nov. 3, becoming the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state as Georgia voters delivered a series of victories that will dramatically expand women’s representation in the state’s highest offices.
What we know:
The former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican businessman Rick Jackson in a race that had been expected to be close, winning approximately 54% of the vote to Jackson’s 46%. She will become Georgia’s 84th governor in January, succeeding Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and ending nearly 24 years of Republican control of the governor’s office.…