Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Democratic nomination for Georgia governor

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination in the Georgia governor race on Tuesday, May 19, multiple outlets projected.

Bottoms defeated fellow Democratic candidates including longtime politician Michael Thurmond; former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who switched parties, and Georgia state Sen. Jason Esteves. At the same time, Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and health care executive Rick Jackson advanced to a June 16 runoff for the Republican Party nomination.

The now-three candidates are running to be the state's next leader, replacing two-term Gov. Brian Kemp.

Bottoms' campaign focused on expanding Medicaid coverage and increasing education funding. She argued on the campaign trail that she's the greatest hope for the state to go blue in the midterm election this fall.

Speaking at her celebration after winning the gubernatorial primary, Bottoms said Georgians showed their voices would "never be silenced" and vowed to stand up to Republican President Donald Trump, PBS reported.

"It means stopping Donald Trump every time his policies hurt Georgia, and also taking action here to make life better for people across the state," Bottoms said.

If Bottoms wins the gubernatorial seat, she will be both the first Black and first female governor of Georgia.

Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?

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 was also previously a city councilmember there. Bottoms was a senior advisor to Joe Biden while he served as president from 2021 through 2025.The former president endorsed Bottoms in the gubernatorial race.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.