Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms outran her rivals and avoided a runoff to win the Democratic Party’s nomination for Georgia governor Tuesday.
Bottoms gained more than 56% of unofficial votes cast in the race by 10:18 a.m., Wednesday, with 99% of votes counted in the race, according to the Associated Press. Former state Sen. Jason Esteves came in a distant second with about 18.7% of the vote.
“When people ask me if it can be done, I think of the words of Nelson Mandela who said, ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done,’” Bottoms said at her election night watch party. “We will get it done in Georgia.”
In November, Bottoms will face either billionaire Rick Jackson or Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. The GOP contenders are headed to a June 16 runoff.
U.S. House
State Rep. Jasmine Clark is now likely to succeed the late U.S. Rep. David Scott in Congress next year after a comfortable victory in the 13th District Democratic primary on Tuesday.
The four-term state lawmaker and assistant clinical professor at Emory University received 56% of unofficial votes cast in the primary race with 99% of precincts reporting as 10:18 a.m., Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
Dentist and reality TV star Heavenly Kimes placed a distant second with 21.5% of votes, followed by educator Everton Blair at 11.6%, and state Sen. Emmanuel Jones with 7.5%.
Clark is set to take on Republican primary winner Jonathan Chavez, who ran unopposed. The winner in the dark blue, east metro Atlanta district, which hasn’t elected a Republican to Congress in its 24-year history, will replace Scott next year.
Clark received a major boost in campaign funding and support from Democrats nationally after Scott’s sudden passing in April. She recently gained an endorsement from former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and $300,000 in campaign ad funding from the 314 Action Fund, a nonprofit working to get more STEM professionals elected to public office.
She expressed gratitude on social media for those who backed her.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to every person who supported this campaign,” Clark posted on X around midnight on Tuesday. “I’m truly honored and cannot wait to get to work!”
U.S. Senate
Republican U.S. Senate candidates Mike Collins and Derek Dooley will compete in a June 16 runoff to decide which of them takes on incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November.
Collins received 40.5% of votes cast in the GOP primary race to Dooley’s 30.2%. Fellow U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter came in third with 25.1% support.
Ossoff, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, has been identified as Democrats’ most vulnerable U.S. Senate incumbent, but voters’ souring on Republican leadership in Washington may shift political fortunes in his favor.
Fulton County Commission chair
The race to decide the next chair of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners will head to a June 16 runoff between commissioners Robb Pitts and Mo Ivory.
No candidate received the more than 50% majority votes in their May 19 race required to avoid a runoff. Ivory placed first with nearly 40% of the votes, followed by the incumbent Pitts, who received about 35% support. Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. gained 25.31% of the vote.
Supreme Court
Incumbent Supreme Court justices Charles Bethel and Sarah Hawkins Warren defeated challengers Miracle Rankin and Jen Auer Jordan in their respective races Tuesday.
Bethel received more than 51% of the vote to Rankin’s estimated 49%. Warren earned a more lopsided victory with 59% of votes counted compared to Jordan’s roughly 41%.
Read More:
- Keisha Lance Bottoms Wins Democratic Nomination for Georgia Governor
- Georgia Rep. David Scott Dies at 80
This story has been updated.
