2020 Georgia Public Service Commission election

Last updated

The 2020 Georgia Public Service Commission election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect two members to the Georgia Public Service Commission, concurrently with the presidential election, as well as both a regular and special election to the U.S. Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. While Republican incumbent appointee Jason Shaw defeated Democrat Robert Bryant for District 1, Republican incumbent Lauren "Bubba" McDonald was forced to a runoff against Democrat Daniel Blackman for District 4. While the runoff was initially scheduled for December 3, it was moved by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to the January 5, 2021 runoff, alongside the runoff elections for both Senate seats.[ citation needed ]

Contents

This is the sixth runoff election held for a Public Service Commission seat since runoffs were first mandated by law in 1964, with the first runoff being held in 1992 alongside a U.S. Senate runoff and successive PSC runoffs having been held in 1998, 2006, 2008, and 2018. Were he to win, Blackman would become only the second African American member on the Commission in its history, with Democrat David Burgess having served from 1999 until his defeat in a 2006 runoff by Republican Chuck Eaton; Burgess was also the last Democrat to serve on the commission, with McDonald having changed his party affiliation after first being elected. Blackman and McDonald previously ran against each other for District 4 in 2014.[ citation needed ]

Allegations of improper ballots

Bubba McDonald, the Republican incumbent in the race, won the January 5th runoff by 33,727 votes over Democratic challenger Daniel Blackman. [1] The down-ballot race was an anomaly, due to Commissioner McDonald receiving more total votes than any other Republican on the runoff ballot. Republican Incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler both lost their respective races to Democratic challengers Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. [2] After the runoff election, Daniel Blackman alleged the race may have been missing from some ballots, after receiving reports from voters. [3] While "Blackman trailed Republican incumbent Lauren “Bubba” McDonald by over 33,000 votes, or 0.74 percentage points, outside the margin where he'd be entitled to a recount," the Georgia Secretary of State opened an investigation into the matter. [3]

After the investigation, as stated in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Georgia election officials say they found no evidence that the Public Service Commission race was left off some ballots, and Democrat Daniel Blackman acknowledged Wednesday that he had lost to Republican Lauren “Bubba” McDonald." Walter Jones, the spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State's office stated, “We have learned from 2018 to now — from Stacey Abrams to Donald Trump — that false claims and disinformation that an election has been stolen is dangerous to our democracy” In the same AJC article, it was mentioned that "Blackman never alleged the PSC election was stolen, saying he wanted to make sure that every vote was counted." [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 United States Senate election in Georgia</span>

The 1992 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 3, 1992. In the general election, which occurred simultaneously with the presidential election, incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Wyche Fowler received more votes, but did not achieve a simple majority. Under Georgia law, this demanded a runoff. Paul Coverdell, the former Director of the Peace Corps, edged out Fowler in the November 24 runoff by a narrow margin, flipping the seat to the Republicans. It was the first Senate runoff election to be held in Georgia since runoffs were first mandated in 1964. This was the third consecutive election for this Senate seat where the incumbent was defeated.

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) is a statutory organ of the state government of Georgia; elected among five commission districts, the board consists of a Chairman, a Vice-chairman, and three Commissioners. PSC regulates telecommunications, transportation, electric and natural gas services in the U.S. state of Georgia. Commissioners are elected in partisan elections statewide, though they must reside in a district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Georgia state elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Georgia on November 4, 2014. All of Georgia's executive officers were up for election as well as a United States Senate seat, all of Georgia's fourteen seats in the United States House of Representatives and all seats in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly. Primary elections were held on May 20, 2014. Primary runoffs, necessary if no candidate wins a majority of the vote, were held on July 22, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia</span>

The 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 3, 2020, and on January 5, 2021, to elect the Class II member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Georgia. Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue in the runoff election. The general election was held concurrently with the 2020 presidential election, as well as with other elections to the Senate, elections to the U.S. House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Georgia's 6th congressional district special election</span>

A special election to determine the member of the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's 6th congressional district was held on April 18, 2017, with a runoff held two months later on June 20. Republican Karen Handel narrowly defeated Democrat Jon Ossoff in the runoff vote, 51.8% to 48.2%. Handel succeeded Tom Price, who resigned from the seat following his confirmation as United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration. The runoff election was necessary when no individual candidate earned the majority of votes in the election on April 18. Ossoff received 48.1% of the vote in the first round, followed by Handel with 19.8%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Ossoff</span> American politician and filmmaker (born 1987)

Thomas Jonathan Ossoff is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Georgia since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Ossoff was previously a documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Raffensperger</span> American politician (born 1955)

Bradford Jay Raffensperger is an American businessman, civil engineer, and politician serving as the Secretary of State of Georgia since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives, representing District 50.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Georgia House of Representatives election</span>

The 2018 Georgia House of Representatives elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Georgia voters elected state representatives in all 180 of the state house's districts. State representatives serve two-year terms in the Georgia House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States Senate election in Georgia</span>

The 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia was held on November 8, 2022, to elect a member of the U.S. Senate to represent the state of Georgia. Incumbent Democratic senator Raphael Warnock won his first full term in office, defeating Republican former football player Herschel Walker. Under Georgia's two-round system, Warnock was re-elected in a runoff election on December 6 after neither candidate received over 50% of the vote on November 8. Warnock's win was the only statewide victory for Democrats in Georgia in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States presidential election in Georgia</span>

The 2020 United States presidential election in Georgia was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as part of the 2020 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Georgia voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, incumbent President Donald Trump of Florida, and running mate Vice President Mike Pence of Indiana against Democratic Party nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware, and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris of California. Georgia has 16 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia</span>

The 2020–21 United States Senate special election in Georgia was held on November 3, 2020, and on January 5, 2021, to elect the Class III member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Georgia. Democrat Raphael Warnock defeated appointed incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler. The first round of the election was held on November 3, 2020; however, no candidate received a majority of the vote, so the top two candidates—Warnock and Loeffler—advanced to a runoff on January 5, 2021, which Warnock won narrowly.

Fair Fight Action is an American political organization founded in 2018 by Stacey Abrams to address voter suppression in Georgia and across the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raphael Warnock</span> American pastor and politician (born 1969)

Raphael Gamaliel Warnock is an American Baptist pastor and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Georgia since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Warnock has been the senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church since 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Eaton</span> American politician

Charles "Chuck" Eaton Jr. is a Judge on the Fulton County Superior Court in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit. He was appointed to the Court by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on August 12, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Georgia state elections</span>

Several elections took place in the U.S state of Georgia in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020, and the runoff on January 5, 2021. A combined partisan primary for president and all other offices on the ballot was held on June 9, 2020, with a primary runoff held on August 11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Georgia state elections</span>

Several elections took place in the U.S. state of Georgia in 2022. The general election was held on November 8, 2022. A runoff election for one of Georgia's seats in the United States Senate was held on December 6, 2022. The runoff was scheduled because none of the candidates for Senate received 50% of the statewide vote in the general election. In addition to the Senate seat, all of Georgia's seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election. Also up for election were all of Georgia's executive officers and legislative seats, as well as one seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission. The Republican Party decisively won every single statewide office in Georgia except for the Federal Senate race which narrowly went Democratic in 2022.

The Election Integrity Act of 2021, originally known as the Georgia Senate Bill 202, is a law in the U.S. state of Georgia overhauling elections in the state. It replaced signature matching requirements on absentee ballots with voter identification requirements, limits the use of ballot drop boxes, expands in-person early voting, bars officials from sending out unsolicited absentee ballot request forms, reduces the amount of time people have to request an absentee ballot, increases voting stations or staff and equipment where there have been long lines, makes it a crime for outside groups to give free food or water to voters waiting in line, gives the Georgia General Assembly greater control over election administration, and shortens runoff elections, among other provisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the lieutenant governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. It coincided with various other statewide elections, including for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and Governor of Georgia. Georgia is one of 21 states that elects its lieutenant governor separately from its governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Georgia Attorney General election</span>

The 2022 Georgia Attorney General election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the Attorney General of Georgia. Incumbent Republican attorney general Christopher M. Carr was appointed to the office on November 1, 2016, following the resignation of Sam Olens to become the president of Kennesaw State University. Carr ran for a second full term in office. Carr won re-election over state senator Jen Jordan by a margin of 5.3 points.

Redistricting in Georgia is the process by which boundaries are redrawn for federal congressional and state legislative districts. Since statehood, redistricting in Georgia has been carried out by the Georgia General Assembly. It has historically been highly controversial. Critics have accused legislators of attempting to protect themselves from competition by gerrymandering districts.

References

  1. "Election Night Reporting". results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  2. Journal-Constitution, Jim Galloway-The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionGreg Bluestein- The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionTia Mitchell- The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPatricia Murphy- The Atlanta. "The Jolt: Raphael Warnock exults, Jon Ossoff claims victory, and Republicans wonder what happened". ajc. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Niesse, Mark; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Georgia PSC candidate says race may have been left off some ballots". ajc. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  4. Niesse, Mark; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Georgia election officials: Ballots didn't omit PSC race". ajc. Retrieved January 21, 2021.