Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, who ran for governor of Georgia in the midterm elections held on November 3 in the US, surpassed her Republican opponent Rick Jackson. According to the results announced by NBC News, Bottoms became the first Black woman in US history to be elected governor of a state.
The victory of Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, was recorded as a significant turning point in Georgia's political history. Bottoms also earned the titles of the state's first female and first Black governor.
With this result, the 23-year rule of the Republicans, who have held the governorship in Georgia since 2003, has ended. One of the notable aspects of the race was the difference between the campaign budgets. It was stated that billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who operates in the healthcare sector, transferred over 100 million dollars from his personal wealth to his campaign.
FROM MAYOR OF ATLANTA TO GOVERNOR
Born in 1970, Bottoms graduated from the Georgia State University College of Law after studying broadcast journalism at Florida A&M University. Before entering politics, Bottoms worked as a judge and served on the Atlanta City Council.
Elected Mayor of Atlanta in 2017, Bottoms took office in January 2018. During her tenure as mayor, she faced the COVID-19 pandemic and the anti-racism protests that spread across the US following the murder of George Floyd.
After her mayoral term, Bottoms worked in the Joe Biden administration as the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and as a senior advisor to the President; in her gubernatorial campaign, she highlighted the economic conditions of low- and middle-income families.
Bottoms' promises included expanding the scope of the Medicaid health insurance program, increasing the minimum wage, and improving economic opportunities for working families.
News Source: 12punto
