Two Democrats have joined the previously all Republican Public Service Commission as a result of Tuesday's election.
Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard won their respective statewide elections, securing each of them a seat on Georgia’s Public Service Commission.
Johnson and Hubbard are the first Democrats to win a statewide election to a state-level office in 20 years.
Georgia’s Public Service Commission was previously made up of five Republicans. Now the Commission will be split between the three GOP members and the two newly elected Democrats. Next year, Hubbard will have to run for reelection.
Athens Democratic Party Chair Shellby Branch says voters were motivated by their utility bills.
“The working class was not happy with Georgia Power and the amount of times they raised their rates giving them some really large electricity bills, and I think we also saw that frustration with the Republican party and what’s been going on nationally," said Branch. “I am excited that we flipped both of those seats to Democrat, and we’re also going to flip House District 121 [in the] special election on December 9th about five weeks from now.”
Georgia House District 121, which encompasses Oconee and Clarke Counties, will have a special election in December in the wake of the resignation of the previous representative, Marcus Wiedower.
Branch says she expects more Democratic wins in the future.
