Peter Hubbard Secures Democratic Nomination for Georgia PSC District 3 Seat Amidst Low Turnout
Peter Hubbard has emerged as the presumed winner of the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) District 3 Democratic primary runoff, securing 56% of the vote with 80% of precincts reporting. Hubbard garnered 30,717 votes, outpacing former Atlanta City Councilperson and state representative Keisha Sean Waites, who received 24,368 votes.
The runoff saw exceptionally low voter participation, with only about 1.6% of active voters statewide casting ballots.This follows a general election with similarly subdued turnout,where only 2.7% of active voters participated. These elections come after nearly three years of delays stemming from lawsuits concerning the statewide nature of PSC races.Ultimately, the races were confirmed to remain statewide for all five districts, all of which are currently held by Republicans.Hubbard, a project director and advocate for green energy, will face incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson for the District 3 seat on November 4. In the initial general election, Waites had secured more votes than Hubbard, achieving 46% compared to HubbardS 33%.
Simultaneously occurring, the Democratic candidate for District 2 has also been decided, with Alicia Johnson set to challenge incumbent Republican Tim Echols.
The Georgia Public Service Commission holds significant regulatory power, responsible for setting rates and energy plans for Georgia Power, the state’s largest electric utility. The PSC also oversees telephone and natural gas utilities across Georgia.