Decisive Democratic victories in Georgia and across the country on Tuesday have given the Democratic Party momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms, while Republicans are left grappling with how to quickly recenter voters’ affordability concerns.
Democrats Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard delivered an upset Tuesday by gaining over 60% of the statewide vote each, unseating two Republican incumbents on the Public Service Commission and clinching the first non-federal statewide victories for Democrats in Georgia in nearly 20 years. Johnson and Hubbard’s victories will reshape the current all-Republican commission, though the panel will remain under GOP control.
Johnson and Hubbard won by focusing their campaigns on energy affordability, citing six Georgia Power bill increases over two years that were approved by the current commission and pledging to help lower energy costs. Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman Charlie Bailey attributed Tuesday night’s results to a “repudiation of Republican leadership” that raised people’s bills by an average of $500 a year.
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