Nationwide — Keisha Lance Bottoms is running in a very close Georgia governor race that could make history. If she wins, she would become Georgia’s first Black governor and the first Black woman elected governor in the United States. The former Atlanta mayor is running against Republican Rick Jackson, with both candidates making their final push before Election Day. Recent polls show the race is extremely close.
The latest polls show little difference between the two candidates. A Big Data Poll conducted Sept. 21-23 had Jackson and Bottoms tied at 50% after including voters who leaned toward either candidate. An InsiderAdvantage poll from Sept. 22-23 showed Jackson with 48% and Bottoms with 46%. The RealClearPolling average was even closer, with Jackson at 47.2% and Bottoms at 46.5%.
According to The Grio, the race has shifted throughout the campaign. Some polls have given Bottoms a small lead, while others have shown a tie or a narrow lead for Jackson. The changing numbers have kept the race difficult to predict. Bottoms recently talked about the conversations she has been having with voters as she campaigns across Georgia.
A victory would give Bottoms several historic distinctions. She would be the first Black governor in Georgia, and the first Black woman elected governor in the country. She would also become the first Democrat to win the Georgia governor’s office since 1998, when Roy Barnes defeated Republican Guy Millner.
Bottoms entered the race after building a political career in Atlanta. She served on the Atlanta City Council before becoming mayor in 2018 and later served as a senior official in the Biden administration. When she announced her campaign for governor, she said she wanted to focus on issues affecting people across Georgia, including health care, education, jobs and the cost of living. Her campaign has continued to take those concerns to voters as she travels across the state. Jackson, a health care executive, is trying to keep the governor’s office under Republican control after winning the Republican nomination earlier this year.
With Election Day scheduled for Nov. 3, the Georgia governor race remains too close for either side to assume the outcome. With the candidates separated by only a few percentage points in recent polls, undecided voters and turnout could have a major effect on the final results. Georgia voters will ultimately decide whether Bottoms makes history or Republicans retain control of the governor’s office.