Keisha Lance Bottoms Becomes First Black Female Governor as Democrats Seize House
Bottoms defeated Rick Jackson in Georgia, while Hakeem Jeffries is positioned to become the first Black Speaker of the House in January.
By Ella Cox ·
Keisha Lance Bottoms defeated Republican Rick Jackson on Tuesday night to become the 84th governor of Georgia. The former Atlanta mayor is the first Black woman to win a statewide constitutional office in the state and the first Black female governor in the nation.
Bottoms campaigned on three specific policy goals: expanding Medicaid coverage, lowering housing costs, and fully funding public schools. Her victory occurs in a state central to the nation's civil rights history. The win places a Democrat in charge of policy decisions that affect doctor visits, rent payments, and classroom resources for working families across the state.
The Georgia result is part of a wider shift in control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats gained a majority in the chamber, a move described by observers as a midterm wipeout for the Republican Party. This shift is visible even in traditionally red areas of the South. With the House under Democratic control, New York congressman Hakeem Jeffries is on track to become the first Black Speaker of the House.
Jeffries is set to take the gavel in January. The role would place him second in the presidential line of succession. His path to the leadership position reflects the broader Democratic gains seen in election returns across the country.
Labor market data released alongside the election results showed U.S. job openings rising to 7.5 million in September. That figure is up from 7.19 million in August and marks the highest level since May. Layoffs declined during the same period. The October jobs report is scheduled for release on Friday. Economists anticipate the report will show 65,000 new jobs and a national unemployment rate of 4.2%.
The national unemployment figure of 4.2% does not account for racial disparities in the labor force. Unemployment rates remain higher for Black Americans than for other groups. This gap continues to shape the economic conditions in many communities, even as aggregate job numbers improve.
In Illinois, 18 incarcerated women earned bachelor's degrees through Northwestern University's prison education program. The ceremony took place on October 16 at the Kiwani Life Skills Reentry Center. It was the first time a top-rated American research university awarded degrees to incarcerated women. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered the commencement address to the graduates and their families.
