Georgia Democrats Hold Four Top Jobs, First Black Woman Elected Governor
Keisha Lance Bottoms becomes the state's first Black female governor while Jon Osoff retains his Senate seat.
By Layla Edwards ·
Four top state and federal positions in Georgia changed hands or were retained by Democrats in the midterm elections held in 2026. The sweep includes the governor’s office, the attorney general’s office, the secretary of state’s office, and a majority in the state house.
Keisha Lance Bottoms made history as the first Black woman elected governor of Georgia. She is also the first Democrat to hold that executive office in more than 20 years. Her victory caps a cycle where the party secured control of key administrative roles within the state.
In the U.S. Senate, incumbent Jon Osoff defended his seat against Republican Representative Mike Collins. Osoff’s win ensures Democratic representation for the state in the upper chamber of Congress. These results stand in contrast to the party’s previous struggles to hold multiple major offices simultaneously.
Stacey Abrams, who ran for governor in 2018 and 2022, told NPR’s Michel Martin that the victories offer a chance to reverse long-term trends. Abrams stated the wins provide "us an opportunity to start correcting and restoring rights that we've seen lost across the South for more than 20 years." She attributed these results to the work of Fair Fight Action, an organization she founded to combat voter suppression.
Abrams noted that her efforts focused on rebuilding trust in the electoral process as well as the party itself. She described the period between election cycles as a time to continue that effort. Abrams said she is grateful that the conversation regarding voting access and consistency in enforcement led to these outcomes. The interview was conducted by Michel Martin and edited by Olivia Hampton for radio and Treye Green for digital distribution.
