2025 Georgia Public Service Commission special election

2025 Georgia Public Service Commission special election

←  2020 November 4, 2025 2026  →
2 seats of the Georgia Public Service Commission
First party Second party   Party Republican Democratic Seats before 5 0 Seats after 3 2 Seat change 2 2

The 2025 Georgia Public Service Commission special election was held in the U.S. state of Georgia on November 4, 2025, to elect two members to the Georgia Public Service Commission. Primary elections were held on June 17, 2025, and primary runoffs were held on July 15, 2025. ^[1] The special election for District 2 will be for a term ending in 2030, while the special election for District 3 will be for a term ending in 2026. ^[2] It is the first special election for a statewide office since the 2020–21 U.S. Senate special and for a statewide non-federal office since the PSC special election in 1998, as well as the first odd-year statewide non-federal election since the 1883 gubernatorial special election. It was held concurrently with multiple municipal elections across the state.

Democrats Alicia Johnson, who ran for District 2, and Peter Hubbard, who ran for District 3, flipped both seats, defeating Republican incumbents Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson, respectively. ^{[3] [4]} It was the first time that Democrats won any seats on the PSC since the 2000 elections or any statewide non-federal offices since the 2006 elections. Johnson also became the first African-American woman on the PSC, as well as the first African American woman elected to statewide office.

Background

Two elections to the Public Service Commission were scheduled as part of the 2024 Georgia state elections, but they were postponed amidst an ongoing lawsuit by Fulton County residents. ^[5] The election was scheduled following the dismissal of the lawsuit in early 2025, by justice William M. Ray II. ^[6] A law passed by the General Assembly, HB 1312, scheduled the special elections for Districts 2 and 3 to return to the prior schedule of six-year terms, while scheduling elections for District 5 in 2026 and Districts 1 and 4 in 2028. ^[2] Commissioners are elected statewide, but must live in the district they are running to represent. ^[7]

The election was called by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on February 26, 2025. ^[1]

Campaign

The special elections for the Public Service Commission are the only statewide ballot items, leading both parties to anticipate very low voter turnout in the general election. Some see the presence of local elections in major cities as giving a potential advantage to Democrats, possibly leading to higher turnout in those areas relative to the rest of the state. Democrats have primarily campaigned on the cost of energy, which has been rising significantly in recent years, while Republicans have primarily campaigned on ensuring the reliability of the electric grid. ^[8] Near election day, several prominent Republican officials such as governor Brian Kemp and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared at events to drive Republican turnout, with Democratic party operatives doing the same. YouTuber Hank Green additionally posted a video to boost the visibility of the race. ^{[9] [10]}

District 2

2025 Georgia Public Service Commission District 2 special election

←  2016 November 4, 2025 2030 →

Candidate Alicia Johnson Tim Echols Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 977,923 581,347 Percentage 62.72% 37.28%

County results Johnson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Echols:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%

Commissioner before election Tim Echols Republican Elected Commissioner Alicia Johnson Democratic

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Tim Echols, incumbent commissioner ^[11]

Eliminated in primary

• Lee Muns, former Columbia County school board member ^[12]

Results

Republican primary ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tim Echols (incumbent)	47,986	75.76
	Republican	Lee Muns	15,354	24.24
Total votes			63,340	100.00

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Alicia Johnson, managing principal ^[14]

Results

Democratic primary ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Alicia Johnson	125,727	100.00
Total votes			125,727	100.00

General election

Endorsements

Tim Echols (R)

Statewide officials

• Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia (2019–present) ^[15]

Labor unions

• AFL-CIO Georgia ^[16]
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 77 ^[16]
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Locals 613, 470 and 84 ^[16]
• Augusta Building & Construction Trades Council ^[16]
• Georgia Building Trades Council ^[16]
• Southeastern Carpenters Regional Council ^[16]
• International Union of Operating Engineers Local 926 ^[16]
• Ironworkers Local 387 ^[16]
• United Association Local 72 ^[16]
• Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Local 85 ^[16]

Organizations

• Georgia Chamber of Commerce ^[17]
• Georgia Right to Life ^[16]

Alicia Johnson (D)

Organizations

• Georgia Sierra Club ^[18]
• Georgia Conservation Voters ^[19]
• Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund ^[20]
• Jane Fonda Climate PAC ^[21]

Political parties

• Georgia Working Families Party ^[21]

Results

2025 Georgia Public Service Commission special election, district 2 ^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Alicia Johnson	977,923	62.72%
	Republican	Tim Echols (incumbent)	581,347	37.28%
Total votes			1,559,270	100.00
	Democratic gain from Republican

District 3

2025 Georgia Public Service Commission District 3 special election

←  2018 November 4, 2025 2026  →

Candidate Peter Hubbard Fitz Johnson Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 979,642 577,406 Percentage 62.92% 37.08%

County results Hubbard:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90% Johnson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%

Commissioner before election Fitz Johnson Republican Elected Commissioner Peter Hubbard Democratic

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Fitz Johnson, incumbent commissioner ^[23]

Results

Republican primary ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Fitz Johnson (incumbent)	54,640	100.00
Total votes			54,640	100.00

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

• Peter Hubbard, nonprofit founder ^[12]

Eliminated in runoff

• Keisha Waites, former at-large Atlanta city councilor, former state representative, and perennial candidate ^{[a] [12]}

Eliminated in primary

• Robert Jones, technology advisor ^[12]

Disqualified

• Daniel Blackman, former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency and nominee for Public Service Commission in 2014 and 2020 ^[24]

Endorsements

Peter Hubbard

State executive officials

• Roy Barnes, former Governor of Georgia (1999–2003) ^[25]

State legislators

• Jasmine Clark, state representative from the 108th district ^[26]
• Terry Cummings, state representative from the 39th district ^[25]
• Saira Draper, state representative from the 90th district ^[27]
• Nan Orrock, state senator from the 36th district ^[25]
• Elena Parent, state senator from the 44th district ^[25]

Organizations

• Georgia Sierra Club ^[18]
• Georgia Conservation Voters ^[26]

Keisha Waites

State legislators

• Gail Davenport, state senator from the 17th district ^[25]
• Winfred Dukes, former state representative from the 154th district ^[25]
• Craig Gordon, former state representative from the 163rd district ^[25]
• Dexter Sharper, former state representative from the 177th district ^[25]

Results

Primary results by county:

Waites

  80–90%

  70–80%

  60–70%

  50–60%

  40–50%

  30–40%

Hubbard

  60–70%

  50–60%

  40–50%

  30–40%

Jones

  90–100%

  60–70%

  50–60%

  40–50%

  30–40%

Other

  Tie–40–50%

  Tie–30–40%

Democratic primary ^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Keisha Waites	58,022	46.06
	Democratic	Peter Hubbard	41,912	33.27
	Democratic	Robert Jones	26,036	20.67
Total votes			125,970	100.00

Runoff results

Runoff results by county:

Hubbard

  >90%

  80–90%

  70–80%

  60–70%

  50–60%

Waites

  >90%

  80–90%

  70–80%

  60–70%

  50–60%

Democratic primary runoff ^[28]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Peter Hubbard	66,141	58.18
	Democratic	Keisha Waites	47,551	41.82
Total votes			113,692	100.00

General election

Post-primary endorsements

Fitz Johnson (R)

Statewide officials

• Brian Kemp, Governor of Georgia (2019–present) ^[15]

Organizations

• Georgia Chamber of Commerce ^[17]

Peter Hubbard (D)

State legislators

• Keisha Waites, former at-large Atlanta city councilor and former state representative (eliminated in runoff) ^[29]

Labor unions

• Georgia AFL-CIO ^[30]

Organizations

• Southern Alliance for Clean Energy ^[31]
• Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund ^[32]

Debates

2025 Georgia Public Service Commission District 3 debates

No.	Date	Host	Moderator	Link	Republican	Democratic
Key:  P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited  W  Withdrawn
					Johnson	Hubbard
1 [33]	October 9, 2025	Atlanta Press Club	Donna Lowry	YouTube	A	P

Results

2025 Georgia Public Service Commission special election, district 3 ^[34]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Peter Hubbard	979,642	62.92%
	Republican	Fitz Johnson (incumbent)	577,406	37.08%
Total votes			1,556,276	100.00
	Democratic gain from Republican

Notes

1. Ran for Atlanta City Council in 2001, 2005, and 2009, candidate for Georgia Senate in 2002, candidate for Fulton County Commission in 2006, 2011, and 2017, candidate for Georgia House of Representatives in 2008, candidate for Georgia's 13th congressional district in 2020, candidate for Georgia's 6th congressional district in September 2020, and candidate for Fulton County Clerk of Courts in 2024

References

1. "Secretary Raffensperger Issues Call for Special Election, Public Service Commission Districts 2 and 3". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
2. Amy, Jeff (March 22, 2024). "Georgia bill would give utility regulators extra years in office without facing voters". Associated Press. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
3. Darnell, Tim (November 5, 2025). "Georgia Democrats oust two GOP incumbents in Public Service Commission special election". www.atlantanewsfirst.com. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
4. Rocha, Alander (November 5, 2025). "Democrat Alicia Johnson appears to defeat longtime Georgia utility regulator • Georgia Recorder". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
5. Williams, Dave (March 7, 2024). "Lawsuit again postpones elections to the Georgia commission that regulates power bill rates". The Augusta Chronicle . Retrieved April 7, 2025.
6. Nolin, Jill (February 26, 2025). "Georgia voters finally get a chance to decide two state PSC board seats after years of delays". Georgia Recorder . Retrieved April 7, 2025.
7. Jones, Emily (February 26, 2025). "Two of three delayed Georgia Public Service Commission elections scheduled for November". WABE-TV . Retrieved April 7, 2025.
8. Rocha, Alander (October 14, 2025). "Losing power? Georgia GOP fears local races could energize Democrats in utilities contest". Atlanta Civic Circle. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
9. Hank Green (October 14, 2025). I Need 1% of Georgia to Watch This Video . Retrieved November 5, 2025– via YouTube.
10. Kann, Drew; Swartz, Kristi E. (November 3, 2025). "How two obscure races became a referendum on Georgia Power bills". ajc. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
11. "Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols Qualifies For Re-Election". The Savannah Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
12. Dunlap, Stacey (April 4, 2025). "Delayed PSC races heat up as candidates take aim at Georgia Power rate hikes, data center growth". Georgia Recorder . Retrieved April 7, 2025.
13. "Special Primary Public Service Commissioner (PSC) / Special Election". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
14. "Dr. Alicia M. Johnson Announces Candidacy for Georgia Public Service Commission District 2". The Savannah Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
15. Howard, Andrew (September 22, 2025). "The 2025 Georgia race that could tell us a lot about 2026". POLITICO. Retrieved September 25, 2025.
16. "Timothy Guy Echols on iVoterGuide". iVoterGuide. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
17. "PSC Commissioners Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson Endorsed for Reelection by Georgia Chamber PAC". Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
18. "Sierra Club Georgia Chapter 2025 Endorsements | Sierra Club". Sierra Club Georgia.
19. "Endorsements". Georgia Conservation Voters. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
20. "Dr. Alicia Johnson". SPLC Action Fund. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
21. "Alicia Johnson on iVoterGuide". iVoterGuide. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
22. "State Election Results". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
23. Dunlap, Stanley (February 4, 2025). "Eight candidates running in long-delayed Georgia PSC elections". The Current. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
24. Amy, Jeff (June 11, 2025). "Judge disqualifies Democrat Daniel Blackman from Georgia Public Service Commission primary". AP News . Retrieved June 10, 2025.
25. Hunter, Kala (July 9, 2025). "Who's in the Georgia PSC primary runoff? 'Our Energy future is on the ballot'". Ledger-Enquirer . Retrieved July 9, 2025.
26. "Georgia Conservation Voters ENDORSES PETER HUBBARD FOR PSC DISTRICT 3". Georgia Conservation Voters. July 7, 2025. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
27. Walker, Margaret (June 17, 2025). "Election Day for Georgia's Public Service Commission: Who's on ballot for primary". Ledger-Enquirer . Columbus, Georgia . Retrieved June 19, 2025.
28. "Special Primary Public Service Commissioner (PSC) / Special Election Runoff". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
29. Roldan, Amber. "Hubbard wins Democratic PSC primary, setting up showdown with governor-appointed incumbent". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved July 16, 2025.
30. "Peter Hubbard on iVoterGuide". iVoterGuide. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
31. "2025 Endorsements | Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund". cleanenergyactionfund.org.
32. "SPLC Action Fund Endorses Peter Hubbard for Georgia's Public Service Commission". SPLC Action Fund. August 19, 2025. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
33. Rocha, Alander (October 13, 2025). "Georgia Republicans say they fear local elections could help Democrats in statewide utilities race". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
34. "State Election Results". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved November 5, 2025.