Republican PSC Candidates Low on Energy as Election Day Nears
Abysmal turnout in the primary races for Georgia's Public Service Commission seats has Republicans worried.
Georgia Republicans are sounding the alarm after Democrats roared past them in primary turnout for two powerful statewide utility board seats — sparking fears of a November shock.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) might not draw the flash of a governor’s race, but it wields enormous influence over Georgians’ electric bills, gas rates, and energy policy. Two of the five commission seats are on the ballot Nov. 4 — and for the first time in years, the GOP’s lock on the board looks shaky.
Primary numbers tell the story: Democrat turnout blew past Republicans’ in a state where the GOP has long dominated PSC contests. The surge has political insiders whispering about a potential blue-wave upset.
“Those numbers are hard to ignore,” one veteran Republican strategist told The Wire. “If the same pattern holds in November, we’re going to be in a dogfight — and we could lose.”
Both seats are currently held by Republicans, who have enjoyed an unbroken grip on the PSC for nearly two decades. But Democrats have been targeting the commission in recent years, arguing GOP regulators are too cozy with Georgia Power and other utilities.
Energy issues are also playing hotter than usual this cycle, with rate hikes, solar expansion, and grid reliability all dominating headlines. Democrats are banking on voter frustration to flip at least one seat — a win that could give them leverage on statewide energy policy for the first time in a generation.
One Republican insider privately admitted the party took the race for granted. “It’s the kind of election we never used to worry about,” the source said. “Now it’s keeping me up at night.”
But an advisor for incumbent commissioner Tim Echols dismisses much of the worries as off-year handwringing, “Commissioner Echols is a household name with Georgia voters. They know him and will turn out in November to make sure he gets over the finish line.”
Sources within the campaign feel confident their strategy will work despite having very few resources to reach out to voters needed in a typical statewide campaign. They say that Tim has been driving the state for years in his electric vehicle and has built up valuable sweat equity with the voters he needs to win.
Will this race become a canary in the coal mine for Georgia Republicans’ 2026 prospects? Only time will tell. The November 4th showdown is expected to heat up after Labor Day and politicos will be watching early vote turnout as they await pulling a fire alarm
.