posted<\/a> online.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlicia Johnson in a statement pledged to support energy policy at the PSC that benefits the public, rather than catering to the interests of powerful energy companies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis victory isn\u2019t just mine, it\u2019s ours. It\u2019s for the single mother choosing between groceries and her power bill, the senior trying to keep the lights on, and the young voter who showed up believing that their voice matters,\u201d Johnson said in a press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hubbard, a clean energy advocate, ousted Republican incumbent Commissioner Fitz Johnson in the District 3 race. In a statement, Hubbard framed the results as a clear mandate from voters frustrated by soaring power costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAffordability is front and center in voters\u2019 minds, and today they overwhelmingly said they\u2019re tired of subsidizing corporate interests at the expense of their families,\u201d Hubbard said. \u201cAs I serve out my first term on the Public Service Commission, I will work tirelessly to lower utility costs, to bring more clean, reliable energy resources to this state, and to refocus the Commission\u2019s work on the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fitz Johnson conceded just past 10 p.m. and said he intends to run again in 2026 when the seat will be back on the ballot. He said that he knew the odds were against him with concurrent municipal elections favoring Democrats, but added that he\u2019s \u201ccertain the underlying policies offered by the Democrats do not reflect the preferences of the majority of Georgians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe work I\u2019ve done with my colleagues on the Public Service Commission has helped to move Georgia forward with a vision to keep energy prices below the national average. We have maintained resiliency of our grid and reliability for consumers,\u201d Fitz Johnson said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democratic National Committee quickly cheered the wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey celebrated the \u201cdecisive\u201d win in a press release by saying this was a referendum on Republican leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn this election, Georgians spoke up loud and clear: they\u2019re sick of Republicans who help corporations and billionaires enrich themselves on the backs of working people, and they\u2019re ready to hold those Republicans accountable,\u201d Bailey said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DNC also celebrated the victory as a rejection of the Republican agenda on costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis victory is a direct response to [Republican]\u2019s cost-raising agenda that is squeezing pocketbooks in Georgia and across the country,\u201d said DNC Chair Ken Martin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DNC vice chair Jane Kleeb called the results a sign that the strategy of \u201corganize everywhere\u201d and a message focused on affordability is \u201cclearly working.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe now head into the 2026 midterm elections with incredible wind behind our backs,\u201d Kleeb said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The wins come as the cost of electricity has become a major consumer issue. The defeated Republican incumbents had voted to approve six rate increases over the last two years, resulting in an estimated average increase of about $500 per year for the average household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe election of two new Public Service Commissioners represents a seismic change in Georgia\u2019s energy landscape and reflects a new politics of electricity in America,\u201d said Charles Hua of PowerLines, an organization focused on affordable energy. \u201cConsumers have sent a clear message: they are paying attention and will hold public officials accountable for decisions that impact their utility bills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A PowerLines\/Ipsos poll found that 3 in 4 Americans are concerned about rising utility bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other environmental groups also celebrated the results, with the Sierra Club, which advocates for retiring fossil fuels and transitioning to clean energy, stating it looks forward to working with Johnson and Hubbard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a monumental victory for Georgia ratepayers, families, and small businesses who deserve affordable, clean energy to power their lives. This election shows that Georgia voters are paying attention and understand that business as usual down at the Public Service Commission cannot continue. This election is also a clarion call to our elected officials to advocate for everyday people, not mutli-billion dollar companies,\u201d said Sierra Club Georgia Chapter Director Adrien Webber in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The races drew some heavy outside spending, with Georgia Conservation Voters spending at least $2.2 million in the elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia Conservation Voters launched a website linked theyraisedyourbill.com blaming the two Republican incumbents for energy bill increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe message of this election is unmistakable: Georgians demand an end to utility bill rate hikes and corporate politics as usual on the PSC,\u201d said Briont\u00e9 McCorkle, executive director of Georgia Conservation Voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But not every voter is sold Democrats can deliver reliable energy while also promoting economic development. Airline pilot Bradley Heydt, a Cherokee County resident, said he cast his ballot for the Republicans on Tuesday because he feels they will strike the proper balance between people and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI believe that our state needs somebody who represents the interests not only of the people, but also for business interests in terms of development and expanding energy in the state,\u201d he said. \u201cI usually do not vote for people who represent the interests of just lowering utility bills. There\u2019s more than just lowering utility bills. It\u2019s managing our energy and our infrastructure in the state, and we need people who are prepared to do that job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Georgia Republican Party officials had openly expressed concern over the unique timing of the election, which coincided with local municipal contests that experts said would likely spur higher Democratic mobilization. GOP leadership, including Gov. Brian Kemp, had tried to rally support and warned of a potential Democratic win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PSC races are seen as a potential indicator of statewide voter sentiment, suggesting that a Democratic breakthrough could provide significant momentum for the party\u2019s attempts to regain traction in Georgia heading into an election year when U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff will be fighting for another term and several high-profile contests, like an open race for governor, are on the ballot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year\u2019s PSC special elections represented the first time since 2020 that any of the sitting commissioners have faced voters in a general election. The elections had been delayed by a lawsuit<\/a> challenging the commission\u2019s at-large voting system. Fitz Johnson, who was appointed to the seat by the governor in 2021, was up for election for the first time as a commissioner. <\/p>\n\n\n\nGeorgia Recorder deputy editor Ross Williams contributed to this report. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n[mailerlite_form form_id=35]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Democrats Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson have delivered an upset in Georgia\u2019s off-year special election Tuesday, defeating two Republican incumbents on the state\u2019s Public Service Commission. The double victory marks the first time the Democratic Party has won a statewide constitutional office in Georgia since 2006 and reshapes the political landscape ahead of the pivotal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":948,"featured_media":37475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_featured_image_position":"behind","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15957],"tags":[8514,12132],"class_list":["post-235749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-your-vote","tag-election","tag-public-service-commission","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/948"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=235749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=235749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=235749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegeorgiasun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=235749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}