Dems win non-federal statewide offices in Georgia for first time in 20 years

Democrats were projected to score a major victory on Tuesday night by winning a pair of statewide offices in Georgia — the first time in 20 years Democrats have won in a non-federal office in that state.

The candidates, Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard, were elected to seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, defeating incumbent Republican commissioners Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson.

The Georgia Public Service Commission is a body that oversees utilities in the state, including electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications infrastructure.

Democrats' victory comes at a time when energy prices around the country have surged. President Donald Trump campaigned on a platform of abundant energy, but almost immediately after taking office, his administration worked to roll back approval for clean energy projects and create new regulatory hurdles for additional ones.

While Georgia has become a battleground state in recent years, voting for former President Joe Biden in 2020 before flipping to Trump in 2024, while in multiple elections choosing Democrats for the Senate, Republicans have, for over a decade, held a monopoly on non-federal state-level offices.

The Public Service Commission victory precedes a high-profile midterm election year in which Democrats hope to compete for the governor's mansion and a number of other row offices. In particular, Geoff Duncan, the former Republican lieutenant governor, defected to the Democratic Party after years of opposition to Trump and has launched a gubernatorial campaign.