Why Georgia’s political shift is a lesson for the nation

This week’s election of Keisha Lance Bottoms to the governorship of Georgia, ending nearly 25 years of Republican rule, is being viewed across the country as a political seismic shift. But those who truly understand the deep civic and business traditions of our state recognize it as something else: the next chapter in the orderly, pragmatic progression of Georgia, with less partisan business and civic leaders quietly providing the momentum to strengthen the state’s economy.

This collaborative mandate is encoded in Georgia’s DNA. It tracks directly back to the mid-20th-century alliance among legendary figures like Governor Carl Sanders, Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr., legendary civic leader and Coca-Cola magnate Robert Woodruff and forward-thinking business leaders like Mills B. Lane. They forged a distinct model where social progress was understood as the prerequisite for economic progress, guiding our state under the banner of our constitutional motto: Wisdom, Justice and Moderation.

That historical focus on progressive moderation created the unique environment that produced international peace leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr., President Jimmy Carter, Ambassador Andrew Young, the global civil rights icon and global statesman, Ted Turner and U.S. Senator Sam Nunn. It is also why our state is home to many of the world’s most iconic corporate brands, sports figures, nonprofits, health centers and entertainment celebrities.

Political transitions are inevitably accompanied by tension. Having spent decades navigating both Georgia’s civic and political circles and serving as a gubernatorial chief of staff and a senior White House official, I have watched power shift in both directions. It is natural for those who have grown comfortable in power to feel anxious when the pendulum swings. We Democrats felt that exact anxiety in 2002 when Sonny Perdue pulled off a historic upset, ending generations of Democratic rule in what was then called Georgia’s first modern Republican reconstruction.

When Governor Perdue took office, he did so without the initial backing of the state’s most prominent civic, business and political establishment players. Yet, an intentional effort was made by civic and business leaders to maintain stability while allowing new blood to run state government. Today, the challenge is parallel. Governor-elect Bottoms enters office facing a similar landscape, and it is incumbent upon Georgia’s modern business and civic community to step up, pull together and help make this transition a success.

The national import of this election is inextricably tied to Georgia’s changing demographics. Within the 13 core counties of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the transformation is staggering. Out of those 13 economic engine counties, only two, Cherokee and Forsyth, are not majority African American. Furthermore, the political leadership of these key counties is increasingly led by women. This demographic shift is not a passing trend; it is the new face of the American South.

Governor-elect Bottoms is uniquely prepared to govern across this changing landscape. As the former mayor of Atlanta, she has a proven track record of building broad coalitions and working alongside a Republican-led state government to advance the city’s agenda. To succeed at the state level, she must continue building bridges with the Republican and Democratic legislative leadership in the General Assembly and the state business community.

Finding common ground is not just a political strategy; it is an urgent economic necessity. The incoming administration’s first priorities must focus on the fundamental needs of our citizens: housing, hunger, education and healthcare. Bipartisan consensus can be reached on practical measures, such as a local option food tax exemption to ease the burden on working families.

Concurrently, Georgia must establish a proactive, unified strategy for artificial intelligence and data centers. The massive influx of tech infrastructure requires a clear set of standards that protects our energy grid — a challenge leaders like Southern Company’s Chris Womack thoroughly understand — while continuing to attract high-value capital investments to our communities.

Georgia’s political transition is a national story not because one party defeated another, but because it proves that demographic evolution does not have to result in governance gridlock. It’s another chapter in our social and economic partnership of progress as a state. By anchoring new leadership within our time-tested traditions of moderation and civic cooperation, Georgia can once again show the rest of the nation how to manage political transitions with stability, dignity and economic purpose.