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 runoff 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 in a landslide, 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 ever elected to statewide office in Georgia.
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 District Court Judge 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 special elections for the Public Service Commission were the only statewide ballot items in 2025, leading both parties to anticipate very low voter turnout in the general election. Some saw the presence of municipal elections on the ballot 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 had primarily campaigned on the cost of energy, which had been rising significantly in recent years, while Republicans had 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 and encourage voting for the Democratic candidates.[9][10]
Results
Both Democrats won in landslide victories, securing nearly 63% of the vote in each of their respective races and flipping counties across the state that had voted for Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election by wide margins.[11] Voter turnout was low relative to elections in even-numbered years, only about a third of the 2024 election, especially in strongly-Republican areas of the state. Stronger turnout in Atlanta due to the city's concurrent mayoral election, as well as a focus on the cost of electricity, are also attributed to the wide Democratic margins.[12] Although Republicans still hold a majority on the Commission, observers still anticipate a shift in policy due to the nature of the issues the Commission tackles.[11]
The elections were Democrats' first statewide victories in non-federal elections since 2006, and their first victories in a PSC election since 2000. Democrats view the elections as a positive bellwether for their potential performance during the 2026 midterms elections, especially in Georgia, where elections for governor and U.S. Senate will top the ticket.[13] Hubbard will be up for re-election in 2026, as will incumbent Republican commissioner Tricia Pridemore.[11]
District 2
2025 Georgia Public Service Commission District 2 special election
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