Delta Sigma Theta’s Keisha Lance Bottoms Just Won the Democratic Primary for Georgia Governor

It was just announced that Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. soror and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has won the Democratic primary in Georgia’s race for governor, becoming her party’s nominee in one of the most closely watched gubernatorial races in the country.

According to NBC News, Bottoms secured more than 50% of the vote, which was necessary to avoid a runoff and advance to the November general election. She emerged from a crowded seven-candidate field that included former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.

According to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s official Facebook page, Bottoms was initiated into Delta Sigma Theta through the Beta Alpha Chapter at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in communications before going on to receive her Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law in 1994.

A daughter of Atlanta, Bottoms is the only mayor in the city’s history to have served in all three branches of government, having previously served as a judge and city councilmember before being sworn in as mayor in 2018. She later joined the Biden administration as senior advisor and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

The stakes of her general election run are significant. As reported by The 19th News, Georgia has not elected a Democrat to the governor’s office in 25 years, and Bottoms could make history as Georgia’s first woman governor and the first Black woman elected governor in United States history. Stacey Abrams previously sought to break that barrier as the Democratic nominee in 2018 and 2022.

According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Bottoms will face the winner of the Republican runoff between Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare executive Rick Jackson, scheduled for June 16, 2026.