By Jill Nolin | Editor
That sound you hear is the glass ceiling shattering across state government, with Georgia voters electing their first Black governor — and the first Black woman governor in the nation — and choosing other history-making candidates. And on top of that, Georgians voted for seismic change, electing Democrats to every statewide office on the ballot Tuesday and potentially handing them Georgia’s state House too.
Georgia governor-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms celebrates her victory Tuesday in Atlanta. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
2026 ELECTION
By Alander Rocha and Ariel Hart
Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, will be the first Democrat to occupy Georgia’s top office in more than two decades and the first Black woman governor anywhere in the country.
Bottoms defeated her Republican opponent, healthcare executive Rick Jackson, who was endorsed by both outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp and President Donald Trump and who spent $200 million of his own money on the race.
Bottoms in her victory speech echoed the themes of affordability and healthcare that carried her through the race.
“This win is for the veteran who needs access to healthcare,” she said. “It’s for the college student who wonders if the cost of their education is worth it, it is for the teenager who’s asked about mental health support. This win is for the caregiver who can’t afford healthcare and needs Georgia to finally expand Medicaid,” she said to a roaring crowd.
Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds delivers her victory speech in Georgia's secretary of state race on Nov. 3, 2026. Maya Homan/Georgia Recorder
2026 ELECTION
By Maya Homan and Jill Nolin
Tuesday night was a clean sweep for Georgia Democrats, with voters electing Democrats to every statewide office that was on the ballot.
Voters reelected U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff by a wide margin and elected former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to be not just the first Democratic governor in Georgia in more than two decades but also the first elected Black woman governor to ever serve in the country.
But Georgia voters didn’t stop there.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks to supporters in Atlanta Tuesday night after winning reelection. Julia Beverly for the Georgia Recorder
2026 ELECTION
By Ross Williams
Six more years.
That’s what Georgia voters gave Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff on Tuesday, handing him a win over Republican Congressman Mike Collins and sending him back to Washington for a second term.
The race was called by the Associated Press less than an hour after polls closed Tuesday.
In a victory speech, Ossoff cast his re-election as a decisive rebuke of President Donald Trump’s policies, and vowed to continue fighting to guarantee health care coverage, make everyday expenses more affordable and uphold Georgians’ civil rights.
“Tonight, we’ve struck a necessary and undeniable blow on behalf of justice and progress,” Ossoff said. “And tonight in Georgia, we’ve proven not just that unity is possible, but that we can overcome division without sacrificing clarity of purpose.”
Democrats Peter Hubbard, who won a full term to the Public Service Commission, and Shelia Edwards, who flipped the previously Republican-held seat, are pictured at debates organized by the Atlanta Press Club. Photo credit: J Glenn Photography, courtesy of the Atlanta Press Club, and Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
2026 ELECTION
By Alander Rocha
Voters have handed Democrats control of the Georgia Public Service Commission, a little known but important regulatory board that influences how much Georgians pay for energy.
Democrats Peter Hubbard, who is already on the commission, and Shelia Edwards, who was competing for an open seat, were both candidates leading by more than 10 points as of late Tuesday night, according to unofficial results from the secretary of state’s office.
“I want to thank the people of Georgia for their votes and prayers! The voters have spoken and I am ready to go to work on their behalf,” Edwards said in a statement.
Hubbard had more pointed words about the direction the commission is headed in under a Democratic majority.
“I look forward to helping fulfill Southern Company’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050,” Hubbard said in a statement.
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FROM OUR DC BUREAU AND STATELINE
ICYMI FROM THE RECORDER
Here are five things to watch as Georgia voters head to the polls on Election Day |Maya Homan and Ross Williams
Obama rallies with Georgia Democratic candidates as early voting winds down | Alander Rocha and Maya Homan
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