Democrats flip statewide offices up and down the ballot in Georgia; state House is in play

Tuesday night was a clean sweep for Georgia Democrats, with voters electing Democrats to every statewide office that was on the ballot. 

Voters reelected U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff by a wide margin and elected former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to be not just the first Democratic governor in Georgia in more than two decades but also the first elected Black woman governor to ever serve in the country. 

But Georgia voters didn’t stop there. 

Democrats won three other open statewide seats that were seen as competitive going into Tuesday: attorney general, secretary of state and lieutenant governor. And they also ousted Republican incumbents in downballot races for labor commissioner, insurance commissioner, agriculture commissioner and state school superintendent, with the Democrats in those races leading by 7 points or more late Tuesday night.  

Starting in January, Democrats will also control a state board that regulates utilities, such as Georgia Power, for the first time in decades. Some congressional races were tighter than expected. 

And as of late Tuesday night, Republicans in the state House of Representatives also appeared to be at risk of losing their hold on a chamber they have controlled since 2004. Unofficial results from the secretary of state’s website showed Democratic candidates leading in 13 districts held by Republicans early Wednesday morning. House Democrats need a net gain of 10 seats to become the majority party.

“Georgia Democrats were bigger than just a party tonight,” said state Sen. Josh McLaurin, who is the lieutenant governor-elect, in a speech Tuesday night. “We are now the new governing coalition of the state of Georgia. It’s bigger than party, and it’s bigger than one moment. It’s the future, and I’m so proud of you.”

McLaurin is poised to be the first Democrat to preside over the Senate chamber since Mark Taylor, who served from 1999 until 2007. He will succeed Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who served one term as Senate president before launching an unsuccessful bid for governor this year. His opponent, Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In several races, winning Democratic candidates also made history. 

Democratic state Rep. Tanya Miller will be the first woman and the second Black person to ever serve as attorney general. In a victory speech, Miller pledged to use her position as the Peach State’s top prosecutor to protect people who have felt ignored by the system.

“Tonight I want every young girl watching, every young person who has ever been underestimated, every parent working two jobs to make ends meet, and every Georgian who has ever felt invisible to the institutions meant to protect you, I want you to hear me,” she said. “You matter. Your voice matters. Your vote matters, and your future matters. There is room for you in the promise of Georgia.”

She defeated Republican Brian Strickland, a lawyer and Republican state senator who has served in the Legislature since 2013.

Former Fulton County Judge Penny Brown Reynolds will become the first Black person in Georgia to be elected to the position of secretary of state.

In an interview, she said she felt humbled to receive such a decisive victory. Brown Reynolds had a more than 11-point lead as of late Tuesday night. 

“It’s very significant that the people of Georgia, from all walks of life, all ZIP codes, made a decision that I would be the person to represent them, not because I am the first Black woman — first Black period — but because I was the most qualified person,” she said. “I believe that they wanted somebody who really loves and cares for the people and understands the value of that vote.”

Brown Reynolds defeated Republican Tim Fleming, a two-term state lawmaker and the former deputy secretary of state during Gov. Brian Kemp’s tenure as the state’s top election official. Fleming could not be reached for comment on election night.

Educator Lydia Powell is poised to become Georgia’s first Democratic state school superintendent in more than 30 years. She is set to become the first Black woman to lead Georgia’s public school system, which includes more than 1.7 million students across more than 180 districts.

Powell defeated incumbent Superintendent Richard Woods, who has served for more than a decade as the schools chief. Woods first took office in 2015 and won re-election in 2018 and 2022.

“Tonight the Lord has chosen to close this chapter of my life,” Woods wrote on social media Tuesday night. “I wish to congratulate Dr. Powell on her election win and pray for her success as Georgia’s next state school superintendent.”

Nikki Porcher led Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes, who was appointed to the role, by about 9 points. Keisha Sean Waites had an 8-point lead over Insurance Commissioner John King. And Katherine Juhan-Arnold was beating Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper by nearly 8 points. 

“Unfortunately, tonight has not gone our way,” Rivera Holmes said in a statement. “I want to congratulate Nikki Porcher on a hard-fought campaign and her victory in this race. I’m wishing her well and offering her my family’s prayers.”

The Georgia Republican Party put out an unsigned statement after the results started to roll in.

“Tonight’s outcome is not what our candidates worked so hard to achieve. We respect the will of Georgia’s voters, and we hope those elected will serve all of Georgia,” the statement read in part. “Our next chapter begins with that responsibility. We will strengthen our local parties, welcome new voices and develop leaders who understand that public service starts with showing up and listening.

“To everyone disappointed tonight: take heart. We will never stop fighting for a Georgia that puts faith, families, and freedom first,” the statement also said. 

But back over at the Democrats’ election night party, attendees were elated. 

Atlanta attorney Michelle Augustine celebrated the historic string of wins for Black women at Bottoms’ Atlanta rally Tuesday night, waving a sign that read “Black women lead Georgia.”

“We have Judge Penny Brown Reynolds, we have Tanya Miller,” she said. “This sign means everything. This sign means everything, because Black women for sure lead Georgia.”

“I’m gonna be able to tell my children, my children will be able to tell their children, that I was actually here and made part of history,” she added.

Nina Lee, a 35-year-old writer and film director who attended the Democratic Party of Georgia’s watch party at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, said she was excited to see Georgia flip blue for the first time in her life. 

“It’s wild,” she said. “I’m from here. I’ve lived here. I never thought I’d see the day.” 

Beverly Burks, the mayor of Clarkston, called the Democrats’ sweep of the state’s top offices “telling,” adding that the results are a sign that Black women can be elected statewide. 

As the first Black woman to serve as Clarkston’s mayor, Burks added, she’s no stranger to the acclaim — and challenges — that come with barrier-breaking politics. 

“I know what it means to be the first in terms of African American women elected to that role,” she said. “But that’s just a nice title, right? The work is what you do every day to make a difference for our Georgians who are suffering and need support.”

Georgia Recorder Deputy Editor Ross Williams contributed to this report.