Peter Hubbard defeats Republican on Georgia’s PSC as Democrats grab 2 seats
Democrat Peter Hubbard beat incumbent Georgia Public Service Commissioner Fitz Johnson, a member of the all-GOP commission, to mark two wins for his party in PSC races Tuesday.
As vote tallies were reported Tuesday evening, Hubbard held a 20-point advantage in the race for PSC District 3 for much of the night. He held about 62% of the vote with 159 counties reporting after 10:30 p.m., according to the Secretary of State’s office. This special election only determined who will fill the seat for the final year of a six-year term. District 3 will be back on the ballot in 2026.
“As I serve out my first term on the Public Service Commission, I will work tirelessly to lower utility costs, to bring more clean, reliable energy resources to this state, and to refocus the Commission’s work on the public interest,” Hubbard said in a statement emailed to The Telegraph.
Johnson, who had been appointed to the seat and was looking to be elected onto the commission for the first time, indicated his intention to run again next year.
“We knew the odds were against us with local elections driving Democratic turnout in an off-year election,” Johnson said. “What I want Georgians to hear from me tonight is that I intend to reclaim this seat in 2026. The work I’ve done with my colleagues on the Public Service Commission has helped to move Georgia forward with a vision to keep energy prices below the national average.”
Johnson also thanked Gov. Brian Kemp and others who helped him as a member of the PSC.
“Voters have chosen a different direction in this election, but I’m certain the underlying policies offered by the Democrats do not reflect the preferences of the majority of Georgians,” Johnson said. “I’m incredibly grateful to Governor and First Lady Kemp, to the voters and grassroots leaders who supported our campaign and to my friends and colleagues on the commission.”
The special election followed years of delays stemming from a lawsuit that concluded in 2024. Hubbard said he plans to run for a full six-year term on the commission in the November 2026 election.
The PSC District 3 seat joined the PSC District 2 seat as the only statewide races on the ballot Tuesday. The PSC regulates the state’s utilities, including electricity, natural gas and telecommunications. Georgia’s PSC has been all-Republican for 22 years.
Talking points for Georgia’s PSC candidates
Hubbard’s campaign was frequently focused on the six rate hikes for Georgia Power customers that the PSC has approved in the last two years, which he said added about $600 annually to the average residential electricity bill.
“We can bring clean, reliable and affordable energy to Georgia,” Hubbard said on the campaign trail. “We can put money back in your pockets, not the pockets of utility executives. We can have a Public Service Commission that actually serves the public.”
Johnson campaigned on keeping the PSC conservative, arguing that Democratic candidates would bring “Green New Deal” style energy policies to Georgia, which he believes are bad for reliability.
Johnson said while campaigning that the all-Republican PSC is a key reason why Georgia has maintained affordable, reliable energy and strong economic growth, tying the commission’s work to the state’s 12-year streak as the number one state for business.
“We’re the number one state to do business the last 12 years in a row,” Johnson said on the campaign trail. “And one of the reasons, we’re doing our part at the commission, is because when folks want to bring their businesses here, they want to make sure their power is available, it’s reliable, it’s dependable and it’s affordable.”
Johnson was appointed by Kemp in 2021, is the current Chairman of the PSC’s Energy Committee and has served on the commission since 2022.
In 2023, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners named Johnson to chair a new national committee, the Task Force on Natural Gas Resource Planning.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 10:42 PM with the headline "Peter Hubbard defeats Republican on Georgia’s PSC as Democrats grab 2 seats."
