History
Wednesday, Nov. 4 — Sen. Jon Ossoff cruised to reelection, beating Republican challenger Mike Collins by 18 points. Riding a historic “blue wave,” Keisha Lance Bottoms will become the country’s first Black female governor after beating Rick Jackson by more than 360,000 votes. We have results from across the country below, or jump directly to Georgia’s results on our website.
🌞 Scattered thunderstorms with a high of 70° today.
⛪ Two advocacy groups condemned a Decatur pastor whose social media posts disparaged Muslim candidates and their supporters.
✈️ The Atlanta City Council approved legislation for more than $55 million for Hartsfield-Jackson initiatives, including fire and safety upgrades.
🏈 Unbeaten Miami topped the College Football Playoff committee’s first rankings, with Georgia at No. 2. Utah, Indiana, and Alabama rounded out the top five.
ELSEWHERE
🇺🇸🇮🇱 President Donald Trump said the U.S. will end its roughly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by year’s end, a move that reportedly surprised Israeli defense and finance officials.
🔎 A convicted murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison last week was captured after a nine-day manhunt.
PICTURE THIS: Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan presented The Colonnade with a proclamation ahead of its 100th anniversary during a recent council meeting. The restaurant originally opened on Piedmont Road in 1927 and is now located on Cheshire Bridge Road.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Election Results
• Upcoming Events
• The Reset
AND
• Concert Picks
🎈 A hundred years of art in Atlanta calls for more than one party. Expect special exhibitions, collection favorites returning to the galleries, music, family programs, and one-of-a-kind events that honor the past and look toward the next 100 years. See what’s planned at the High. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Bottoms’ historic win caps night of Democratic victories
📍 Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (pictured) defeated Republican billionaire businessman Rick Jackson to become the first Black woman to win a gubernatorial race and the first Democratic governor elected in Georgia since Roy Barnes in 1998.
“Tonight the voters spoke, and I respect their decision,” Jackson said.
➡️ Democrats ran the table in Georgia, holding a U.S. Senate seat and flipping:
- Lt. Governor: Josh McLaurin (D) 55.9%, Greg Dolezal (R) 44.1%
- Sec. of State: Penny Brown Reynolds (D) 55.6%, Tim Fleming (R) 44.4%
- Attorney General: Tanya Miller (D) 55.5%, Brian Strickland (R) 44.5%
- Insurance Commissioner: Keisha Sean Waites (D) 54.2%, John King (R) 45.8%
- Labor Commissioner: Nikki Porcher (D) 54.6%, Bárbara Rivera Holmes (R) 45.4%
- School Superintendent: Lydia Powell (D) 54.5%, Richard Woods (R) 45.5%
- Agriculture Commissioner: Katherine E. Juhan-Arnold (D) 53.8%, Tyler Harper (R) 46.2%
- PSC District 3: Peter Hubbard (D) 56.3%, Fitz Johnson (R) 43.7%
- PSC District 5: Shelia Edwards (D) 55.2%, Josh Tolbert (R) 44.8%
🗳️ Northlake residents in unincorporated DeKalb County voted to join Tucker.
📍 In Fulton County, Democrat Mo Ivory won the County Commission chair, defeating Republican Eric Tatum with 75% of the vote. Democrats Jodi Merriday, Rohit Malhotra, and Helen Zenobia Willis also claimed seats, while Maggie Goldman unseated Republican Commissioner Bridget Thorne.
☑️ Here’s a list of the full results, including state House and Senate and local county commission races.
NATIONALLY
🫏 Democrats flipped control of both the House and Senate, including these key races:
- Alaska: GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan leads Democrat Mary Peltola 48.7% to 47.5% with about 70% of precincts reporting.
- Kansas: Rev. Adam Hamilton unseated Sen. Roger Marshall, becoming the state’s first Democratic senator since 1932.
- Maine: Troy Jackson unseated Sen. Susan Collins, a five-term Republican.
- Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed beat Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.
- Mississippi: Scott Colom leads Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith by 28 votes, a race still too close to call. A win would make him the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race there since 1982.
- North Carolina: Former Gov. Roy Cooper beat Republican Michael Whatley to flip the seat.
- South Carolina: Dr. Annie Andrews defeated Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed after her brother, Lindsey Graham, died in July.
- Texas: James Talarico topped Ken Paxton for the first statewide Democratic win since 1994.
In governor’s races:
- Iowa: Rob Sand beat Zach Lahn to become the first Democrat elected governor in 20 years.
- New Mexico: Deb Haaland defeated Gregg Hull to become the nation’s first Native American woman elected governor.
- Ohio: Dr. Amy Acton defeated Vivek Ramaswamy.
- Texas: Gina Hinojosa ousted Gov. Greg Abbott.
- Wisconsin: David Crowley defeated Tom Tiffany to become the state’s first Black governor, keeping the office in Democratic hands.
🏛️ Democrats have won at least 220 House seats to 128 for Republicans, with 87 races still uncalled. In the Senate, Democrats hold at least 53 seats, including two independents who caucus with them, to 42 for Republicans, with five races outstanding. Follow the latest.
AND, FINALLY
📺 Enjoy the respite from political ads for a day or two. There are 734 days until the 2028 presidential election, but campaigning begins now.
Ready for a Game of I Spy?
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART
🔍 Step inside the miniature worlds that shaped a generation of readers. I SPY! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders brings together Wick’s meticulously hand-built photographs, optical illusions, and search-and-find puzzles in the largest survey of his work to date.
2. Upcoming Events SPONSORED BY THE ATLANTA BELTLINE
🖌️ Atlanta Beltline Art invites you to the 2026 ATL Stylewriters Jam! Explore live sessions along the trail from Fri., Nov. 6 through Sun., Nov. 8.
💻 Atlanta Cyber Security and AI Conference; today at 8:30 a.m. at Georgia State University.
🎤 Best of Atlanta Comedy Showcase; tomorrow at 8 p.m. at Laughing Skull Lounge.
🚌 Painted City Bus Tour; Fri., Nov. 6 at 10 a.m.
🪕 Chatt Hills Porchfest; Sat., Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. in Serenbe.
👗 BDM Fashion Gala Awards; Sun., Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at the Morrow Center.
🔨 Masterful craft, enigmatic form, and quiet poetic beauty: Martin Puryear: Nexus features more than 70 works. Sculptures in wood, glass, marble, and cast bronze appear alongside rarely shown drawings and prints. Join the artist in conversation with curator Michael Rooks on Nov. 12 from 7–8 p.m. SPONSOR MESSAGE
3. Why a new generation is turning to tarot to explore spirituality and wellness
THE RESET | SPONSORED BY INTOWN PSYCHOLOGY
“The Reset by Rough Draft” is edited by Laura Scholz. The Reset is a monthly newsletter with even more content, and you can subscribe here with one click.
🔮 Halloween is over, but tarot is a year-round wellness practice for many Atlantans – including Adam Melvin. He was a student at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology when he attended his first tarot reading.
Melvin pursued tarot reading and other alternative practices while he finished seminary. In 2014, he founded Enlightened Collective, a nonprofit spiritual development group based out of the Little Five Points Community Center.
Melvin’s group hosts regular “Tarot Tuesday” pop-ups at Mama Lin’s Chicken Delight at Madison Yards. He and Lauren Kelley, who has a tarot reading residency at Seventh House in Adair Park, are two locals bringing this once-fringe practice into the mainstream.
🕯️ Read Laura’s story about tarot here.
⏱️ The clocks fell back on Sunday, and the evenings changed overnight. A steady wake time, daylight outside, and daily movement are worth protecting this week. Jeremy Salzman, Psy.D., licensed psychologist. Intown Psychology. Free consultation.
🎁 Celebrate the season at the High Museum’s Holiday Market with handcrafted gifts, artisan foods, festive drinks, and distinctive creations from local vendors. You’ll discover something special for everyone on your list. Save the date: Nov. 21. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
Wed., Nov. 4
🌌 Aaron Lee Tasjan @ Eddie’s Attic
💗 Victoria Monét @ Fox Theatre
🪕 Livingston Taylor @ Variety Playhouse
🍷 Joshua Radin @ City Winery
Thurs., Nov. 5
🪖 Wim Tapley & The Cannons @ Aisle 5
🏍️ Knox @ The Masquerade
👑 Usher and Chris Brown @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium (also Fri., Sun., Tues., and Wed.)
❤️ Rio Amor @ The Masquerade
Fri., Nov. 6
👸 Fetty Wap @ Coca-Cola Roxy
🚜 Drew Baldridge @ Vinyl
🪲 The Fab Four @ Buckhead Theatre
🔥 Trivium @ The Eastern
✝️ Switchfoot @ Tabernacle
Sat., Nov. 7
🦌 Deer Tick @ Terminal West
🍭 Sugarland @ Gas South Arena
🐟 Paige Fish @ The Masquerade, Purgatory
🐺 Jai Wolf @ The Masquerade, Heaven
Sun., Nov. 8
🕚 First to Eleven @ Vinyl
😎 honestav @ Center Stage
🕊️ ZAUNTEE @ The Masquerade
🌬️ Catch Your Breath @ Tabernacle
Mon., Nov. 9
🎸 Cory Grinder @ The Masquerade
🇨🇴 Los Parceritos @ Buckhead Theatre
🪐 Jade Street & The Kilans @ Aisle 5
Tues., Nov. 10
🇧🇬 Yana @ Center Stage
🐻 Wolf & Bear @ The Masquerade, Purgatory
🚆 Stella Lefty @ The Masquerade, Hell
🏘️ The Neighbourhood @ State Farm Arena
Wed., Nov. 11
👽 Lespecial @ Terminal West
🔔 Josh Garrels @ Buckhead Theatre
🧸 Grateful Shred @ Center Stage
💉 Olivia Rodrigo (pictured) @ State Farm Arena
⛪ Whitechapel @ Tabernacle
🔤 Play News Word Atlanta, our daily word game.
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