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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
1 Public Service Commission primary headed to a runoff
The Brief Former Atlanta City Council member Keisha Waites is headed to a runoff against Peter Hubbard. The runoff election is July 15. The winner of the primary will face incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson, who was appointed to the commission in 2021 by Gov. Brian Kemp. In the District 2 Republican primary, incumbent Tim Echols won the primary. He will face Democrat Alicia Johnson in November. ATLANTA - One of the 2025 Public Service Commission primaries is headed to a runoff. What we know The District 3 Democratic race has been narrowed down to two candidates after none of the three received 50% of the vote Tuesday. Former Atlanta City Council member Keisha Waites is headed to a runoff against Peter Hubbard. Waites earned 47% of the vote, while Hubbard received 32%. Robert Jones is out of the running after receiving 20% of the vote. The runoff election is July 15. The winner of the primary will face incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson, who ran unopposed in the primary. Johnson was appointed to the commission in 2021 by Gov. Brian Kemp and has never faced voters. He was originally scheduled to run in 2022 for the last two years of his predecessor's term . Instead, the District 3 winner can run again next year for a six-year term, after lawmakers rewrote the terms. In the District 2 Republican primary, incumbent Tim Echols won the primary. Echols has been on the Public Service Commission since 2011. Echols will face Democrat Alicia Johnson, who ran unopposed in the primary, come November. Dig deeper Georgia usually doesn't have statewide elections in odd-numbered years, but these were pushed back after elections were delayed by a lawsuit that unsuccessfully challenged the statewide voting scheme as discriminatory to Black people. No Georgia Public Service Commission elections have been held since 2022 because of the lawsuit. Related: Georgia Public Service Commission election: What you need to know Why you should care The Georgia Public Service Commission is the body elected statewide that regulates utilities such as gas and electricity. It has power over what Georgia Power, the state's largest electric provider, can charge customers for electricity. The Source Information for this article came from the Secretary of State's election website and FOX 5 reporting.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
GA voters picking Public Service Commission nominees in primaries focused on bills
Voters head to the polls today to choose party nominees for two posts on the Georgia Public Service Commission, which oversees utilities including Georgia Power Co. There are two separate primary elections taking place. A voter can choose either a Republican ballot or a Democratic ballot. In each race, candidates must live in a certain district but run statewide. In the District 2 Republican primary, Lee Muns of Harlem is challenging incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols, who lives in Hoschton. Echols has been on the Public Service Commission since 2011. The winner will face Democrat Alicia Johnson of Augusta in November. In the District 3 Democratic primary, three people are vying to challenge Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson in November. They are Peter Hubbard and Keisha Waites of Atlanta and Robert Jones of Brookhaven. If no Democrat wins a majority on Tuesday, a runoff will be held on July 15. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Daniel Blackman of Atlanta will appear on ballots in the District 3 Democratic primary, but votes for him will not be counted after a judge ruled he hadn't moved into the district in time to meet the November 2024 deadline Debate in the primary has centered on bills charged by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co. Georgia Power customers have seen bills rise six times in recent years because of higher natural gas costs, construction projects including two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, and other factors. A typical Georgia Power residential customer now pays more than $175 a month, including taxes. All the challengers are calling for change, while Republican incumbent Tim Echols defends his record. The five-member commission, currently all Republicans, also oversees some natural gas rates for Atlanta Gas Light and Liberty Gas. Georgia usually doesn't have statewide elections in odd-numbered years, but these were pushed back after elections were delayed by a lawsuit that unsuccessfully challenged the statewide voting scheme as discriminatory to Black people. No Georgia Public Service Commission elections have been held since 2022 because of the lawsuit. Johnson was appointed to the commission in 2021 by Gov. Brian Kemp and has never faced voters. He was supposed to run for the last two years of his predecessor's term in 2022. Instead, the District 3 winner can run again next year for a six-year term, after lawmakers rewrote the terms. Echols was supposed to run for a six-year term in 2022. Instead, the District 2 winner will serve for five years, with the next election in 2030. TRENDING STORIES: Woman in deadly Atlanta hit and run has second hit and run 20 miles away, police say Police say apparent road rage led to fatal Atlanta shooting Stonecrest couple attacked by 3 dogs say they're unimpressed with county's response [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Georgia voters picking Public Service Commission nominees in primaries focused on bills
ATLANTA (AP) — Voters head to the polls Tuesday to choose party nominees for two posts on the Georgia Public Service Commission, which oversees utilities including Georgia Power Co. There are two separate primary elections taking place. A voter can choose either a Republican ballot or a Democratic ballot. In each race, candidates must live in a certain district, but run statewide. In the District 2 Republican primary, Lee Muns of Harlem is challenging incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols, who lives in Hoschton. Echols has been on the Public Service Commission since 2011. The winner will face Democrat Alicia Johnson of Augusta in November. In the District 3 Democratic primary, three people are vying to challenge Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson in November. They are Peter Hubbard and Keisha Waites of Atlanta and Robert Jones of Brookhaven. If no Democrat wins a majority on Tuesday, a runoff will be held on July 15. Daniel Blackman of Atlanta will appear on ballots in the District 3 Democratic primary, but votes for him will not be counted after a judge ruled he hadn't moved into the district in time to meet the November 2024 deadline Debate in the primary has centered on bills charged by Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Co. Georgia Power customers have seen bills rise six times in recent years because of higher natural gas costs, construction projects including two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle near Augusta, and other factors. A typical Georgia Power residential customer now pays more than $175 a month, including taxes. All the challengers are calling for change, while Republican incumbent Tim Echols defends his record. The five-member commission, currently all Republicans, also oversees some natural gas rates for Atlanta Gas Light and Liberty Gas. Georgia usually doesn't have statewide elections in odd-numbered years, but these were pushed back after elections were delayed by a lawsuit that unsuccessfully challenged the statewide voting scheme as discriminatory to Black people. No Georgia Public Service Commission elections have been held since 2022 because of the lawsuit. Johnson was appointed to the commission in 2021 by Gov. Brian Kemp and has never faced voters. He was supposed to run for the last two years of his predecessor's term in 2022. Instead, the District 3 winner can run again next year for a six-year term, after lawmakers rewrote the terms. Echols was supposed to run for a six-year term in 2022. Instead, the District 2 winner will serve for five years, with the next election in 2030.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Votes trickle in for low-turnout Georgia Public Service Commission primaries
Early voting is underway for a pair of Public Service Commission seats. (Photo by) Cobb County voter Barry Paulk stopped by the West Cobb Regional Library Tuesday afternoon to pick up a copy of 'Election,' the 1998 novel by Tom Perrotta. When he walked through the front doors, a poll manager reminded him that there's a Public Service Commission election going on right now and asked if he wanted to vote. Familiar with the commission's regulatory duties and a recent court case challenging the method used to elect commissioners, he decided why not? 'I figured, well, I'm pretty happy with how things are now, so might as well vote for the incumbents,' Paulk said. Paulk is one of a handful of early voters who have already cast their votes in the primary elections underway for a pair of Public Service Commission seats. For the first time since 2020, voters are electing representatives for both District 2 in the eastern part of the state and District 3 in metro Atlanta. All registered voters in Georgia are eligible to vote for each commissioner, no matter where they live. Incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols is running for reelection in District 2. He is challenged by Lee Muns on the Republican ballot. On the Democratic ballot, Alicia M. Johnson is running in an uncontested race. In District 3, incumbent Commissioner Fitz Johnson is running for reelection as the only candidate on the Republican ballot. There are currently four Democratic candidates hoping to win the party nomination. Candidates include Peter Hubbard, Robert Jones and Keisha Sean Waites. Daniel Blackman is the fourth candidate who is currently fighting to appeal a residency based disqualification Early voting is available through June 13. Voter registration, polling places and sample ballots can all be checked online at the Georgia Secretary of State's My Voter Page. Traditionally, the commission has a staggered election schedule and each commissioner serves a six-year term. This year's election was delayed after a lawsuit challenged the statewide nature of the election, arguing the process diluted the voting strength of Black voters. Despite the ability to vote across the state, voter turnout remains relatively low. After over a week of open polls, voter turnout sits at 0.4%. According to the Secretary of State's data hub, this accounts for about 29,000 voters. Fred Bentley was more of an intentional voter who made time to cast his ballot. Bentley said he was Cobb County's first in-house attorney to represent the condemning authorities that were influential in shaping Georgia's eminent domain laws and even helped write Kennesaw's famous mandatory gun ownership law and he said those experiences have made him a firm believer in the power and privilege of voting. 'I believe that it's an important part of our democracy and our republic that I come out and vote,' Bentley said. He showed up to the polls wearing a blue suit and a red tie to proudly cast his vote. Even with the personal satisfaction of voting, Bentley said he walked away from the polls with a sense of sadness. 'Not a lot of people have voted,' Bentley said. 'And that's a disappointment.' David Chastain, a member of the Cobb County School Board, was headed out of town with his luggage packed when he stopped by the polls to cast his vote Wednesday afternoon. As a close follower of the regulatory panel, Chastain said the commission does a lot of work the average voter may not understand. He is happy with how the current commissioners have operated. 'I do believe that people should participate in the political process,' Chastain said. 'I understand the people who say they don't want to vote, Okay, that's fine, but the rest of us are going to voice our opinions at the ballot box.' Voters have been vocal about various issues surrounding this year's election. Some are singing the praises of incumbents, while others question if the all-GOP panel has done enough to combat rising utility rates and be a check on the state's largest electric utility, Georgia Power. Confusion has also lingered for some voters amid Democratic candidate Daniel Blackman's potential disqualification. Blackman's name is set to remain on the ballot while a Fulton County judge considers Blackman's appeal of a successful challenge to his residency within District 3. A hearing is set for June 10, and the shadow hanging over his candidacy has forced some to rethink their election choices. Alida and Garland Miller, an older couple who say they always vote in the PSC primaries, came to the polls with concerns this year. Familiar with the recent lawsuit, the couple is unsatisfied with the statewide electoral process. 'I feel like we might have the opportunity for a more responsive representative than we currently have,' Alida Miller said. 'I feel like the ones that we have right now don't really care. If they knew they could be voted out by the people in the area that they represent, they might pay a little bit more attention to the wishes of the actual electorate, and not just to big business and the power companies.' When asked if they agreed with the lawsuit arguing that the statewide election dilutes the voices of Black voters, they immediately answered 'yes' in unison. Georgians still hoping to participate in early voting have the opportunity to do so through Friday, June 13, and the official election day will follow on June 17. If no one receives at least 50% of the vote this month, a runoff election will be held on July 15. Primary winners will advance to the general election on Nov. 4. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia Secretary of State to rule on Public Service Commission candidate qualification
Daniel Blackman served as Region IV Southeast Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Biden administration. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder The Georgia Secretary of State's office will decide on Wednesday whether Public Service Commission candidate Daniel Blackman can remain on the ballot for the Democratic primary on June 17. On Tuesday, the first day of early voting in two statewide PSC races, Administrative Court Judge Dominic Capraro ruled in an initial decision that Blackman does not meet the residency requirements to be a candidate for a metro Atlanta Public Service Commission seat. The District 3 Democratic primary also includes Keisha Waites, a former member of the Atlanta City Council and the Georgia House of Representatives, as well as Peter Hubbard, founder of Center for Energy Solutions and an expert witness at PSC hearings, and Robert Jones, who has had a career involved in energy regulation in California. The primary winner will face sitting GOP Commissioner Fitz Johnson in the Nov. 4 general election. The five-member state regulatory board has faced criticism for a series of Georgia Power rate hikes over the last several years. Early voting for two PSC commission primaries will run until June 13. The residency dispute involves a one-bedroom dwelling in Atlanta that Blackman leased on Oct. 4, 2024. Blackman testified that he purchased the property to live closer to work while his wife and children continued to reside in their Forsyth County home, according to the 12-page ruling. 2540751_1465937 Capraro wrote that Blackman failed to provide evidence that he actually lived in the home, such as property tax records, utility bills or mail being delivered to the Atlanta address. 'The testimony presented by (Blackman) did not establish that he actually resided in Fulton County during the relevant period,' Capraro wrote. 'Other than (Blackman) himself, no witness had personal knowledge of (Blackman's) supposed residence at (the property) or anywhere in Fulton County, in the 12 months preceding the upcoming election.' Under Georgia law, the Secretary of State and any Georgian who is eligible to vote for a candidate can challenge the qualifications of the candidate by filing a written complaint with the Secretary of State within two weeks after the deadline for qualifying. Public Service commissioners must reside within their PSC district boundaries for at least 12 months prior to the general election. PSC District 3 comprises Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton counties. Although the commissioners must reside in the geographical district that they represent, every Georgia voter can determine the winner since the state regulators are elected statewide. This year was the second time that Blackman made a bid for a commission seat after he lost a 2021 runoff against Republican incumbent Lauren 'Bubba' McDonald. Blackman, who would later after become a regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency under President Joe Biden, said Tuesday that he would appeal the Secretary of State ruling if it upholds the disqualification. Blackman said he did not want to put the 'cart before the horse' ahead of Wednesday's ruling and that he doesn't plan to scale back on campaigning. The state administrative court held a hearing on the case following a complaint filed by Atlanta resident Rodney Stephens, which challenged the legality of Blackman's qualification. Waites, Jones and Hubbard declined Tuesday to comment on Blackman's residency challenge. This year's primary and general elections will mark the first time since 2020 that PSC contests have appeared on Georgia ballots following lawsuits challenging redistricting and the fairness of the PSC election process for Black voters. Republican incumbents Tim Echols and Johnson are facing challengers seeking to upset their bids to remain on the board. Johnson was appointed to the seat in 2021. Echols, who is seeking his third term on the PSC, will face challenger Lee Muns in the Republican primary for the commission's District 2 seat. Whoever wins will go on to face Alicia Johnson of Savannah, the sole candidate for the Democratic Party. Georgia Recorder reporter Ross Williams contributed to this report. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
