Midterms: Democrat wins in Georgia – election results put Audi under time pressure

New York. In Georgia, where Audi wants to build its first US plant for around four billion dollars, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms surprisingly won the gubernatorial election. The former mayor of Atlanta prevailed on Tuesday against Republican Rick Jackson, who was supported by US President Donald Trump.

In the end, Bottoms was ahead with around 54 percent. Until recently, surveys had shown a neck-and-neck race. Bottoms becomes the first woman and first Black person to lead the state. The last time a Democrat won a gubernatorial election in Georgia was in 1998.

The Democrat has not yet commented publicly on the work. The state's Ministry of Economic Affairs is publicly committed to continuity. “The approach at Audi is consistent with how Georgia has supported large investments by car manufacturers across several governments,” a spokeswoman told Handelsblatt. Georgia's commitments spanned decades.

The work is nevertheless politically charged. Almost two weeks ago, Trump announced it at a campaign rally in nearby Perry, and Audi boss Gernot Döllner was also on stage with him. “This is a long-term investment because we believe in the American market,” he said. The now defeated Jackson also spoke there.