Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination for Georgia governor in the May 19 primary, defeating fellow Democrats and vowing to challenge President Donald Trump’s policies. If elected governor, she would become both the first Black and first female gov
By midnight on May 19, Keisha Lance Bottoms had climbed over the final hurdle of Georgia’s Democratic governor primary—then stepped into the public space where her campaign had been asking supporters to imagine a different state direction.
Bottoms won the Democratic nomination for governor in the primary election. according to multiple outlets that projected results on Tuesday. May 19. She promised to challenge President Donald Trump’s policies and framed the fight ahead as both a leadership test for Georgia and a broader push toward Democratic gains in the midterm election this fall.
She defeated fellow Democratic candidates including longtime politician Michael Thurmond, as well as former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who switched parties, and Georgia state Sen. Jason Esteves.
At the same time, Georgia’s Republican nomination was still being decided. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and health care executive Rick Jackson advanced to a June 16 runoff for the Republican Party nomination, setting up a different kind of uncertainty on one side of the ballot.
Bottoms’ campaign leaned on two concrete priorities—expanding Medicaid coverage and increasing education funding. On the campaign trail, she argued she was the best hope for Georgia to “go blue” in the midterm election this fall.
Speaking at her celebration after winning the gubernatorial primary. Bottoms told supporters that Georgians showed their voices would “never be silenced. ” and she vowed to stand up to Republican President Donald Trump. She said the work ahead would mean “stopping Donald Trump every time his policies hurt Georgia. and also taking action here to make life better for people across the state.”.
The moment carries an immediate personal and historic edge. If Bottoms wins the gubernatorial seat, she would become both the first Black and the first female governor of Georgia. The race also carries real policy stakes for voters: Georgia’s governor. Brian Kemp. is a two-term incumbent. and Bottoms is now aiming to replace him.
Her biography adds another layer to why her supporters view this contest as more than just a routine party contest. Bottoms was born in Georgia and lives in Atlanta with her husband and their four children. according to her online biography. She served as the 60th mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022 and previously worked as a city councilmember there.
She was also a senior advisor to Joe Biden during the years he served as president from 2021 through 2025. In a sign of party momentum behind the campaign, the former president endorsed Bottoms in the gubernatorial race.
The race now moves into its next phase—Bottoms against the eventual Republican nominee chosen through the June 16 runoff—after a Democratic primary that narrowed the field to a single standard-bearer and turned the question for Georgia into a straight choice about how aggressively she will take the fight to Trump’s agenda.
Keisha Lance Bottoms Georgia governor race Democratic nomination May 19 primary Medicaid expansion education funding Brian Kemp Burt Jones Rick Jackson June 16 runoff Donald Trump Joe Biden endorsement