Democrat Alicia Johnson declared victory Tuesday night, and the Republican incumbent commissioner she challenged congratulated her on a “a well-fought fight.” Photo courtesy of the candidate
At least one Democrat appears to have delivered an upset in Georgia’s off-year special election for the Georgia Public Service Commission, and another Democrat is leading in a second race.
As of 9 p.m., Democrat Alicia Johnson led with about 59% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State’s website.
Republican incumbent Tim Echols, who was holding a virtual election night party on social media, did not explicitly concede but ended his party early after congratulating both Peter Hubbard, who is running in District 3, and Alicia Johnson on “a well-fought fight.”
“It’s been my pleasure to do this for 15 years on the commission. The numbers have been called. We’re going to come back if anything changes,” Echols said before signing off.
Alicia 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.
“This victory isn’t just mine, it’s ours. It’s 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,” Johnson said in a press release.
Shortly before 9 p.m., Republican Commissioner Fitz Johnson, who is running against Hubbard, a clean energy advocate, had not conceded.
The Democratic Party of Georgia and the Democratic National Committee are cheering what they say are two wins. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has also called both races.
Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey celebrated the “decisive” win in a press release by saying this was a referendum on Republican leadership.
“In this election, Georgians spoke up loud and clear: they’re sick of Republicans who help corporations and billionaires enrich themselves on the backs of working people, and they’re ready to hold those Republicans accountable,” Bailey said in a statement.
The Democratic National Committee also celebrated the victory as a rejection of the Republican agenda on costs.
“This victory is a direct response to [Republican]’s cost-raising agenda that is squeezing pocketbooks in Georgia and across the country,” said DNC Chair Ken Martin.
DNC vice chair Jane Kleeb called the results a sign that the strategy of “organize everywhere” and a message focused on affordability is “clearly working.”
“We now head into the 2026 midterm elections with incredible wind behind our backs,” Kleeb said.
The Democrats’ campaigns centered on widespread frustration over a series of six rate hikes approved by the all-Republican commission in the last two years, which have increased the average residential household’s bill by about $500 annually.
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.
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’s 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.
This year’s 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 challenging the commission’s 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.
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