In a surprising shift that has political analysts buzzing ahead of the 2026 midterms, Democrats flipped two long-held Republican seats on Georgia’s Public Service Commission — marking the first time in over two decades that Democrats have won a PSC race in the Peach State.
Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard defeated GOP incumbents Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson in Districts 2 and 3, respectively. The victory wasn’t just symbolic; it may signal a turning tide in a state that’s been hotly contested in recent years. According to The Hill, the flips are being viewed by both parties as bellwether wins, particularly given the commission’s low-profile nature — where voter engagement typically hinges on broader electoral momentum.
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin wasted no time tying the results to national narratives, calling the outcome a “direct response to Trump’s cost-raising agenda that is squeezing pocketbooks in Georgia and across the country.” He framed the wins around inflation and energy prices — issues that have consistently polled as top concerns for swing-state voters.
“Johnson and Hubbard won tonight’s Georgia Public Service Commissioner race by focusing on the issue that matters most to Georgians: lowering costs,” Martin said.
And while the commission’s power may not be front-page material, it is influential — particularly in setting utility rates and shaping energy policy in a state with a fast-growing population and booming infrastructure needs. It’s also worth noting that Republicans still hold a 3–2 majority on the commission, but the loss of two seats is politically significant, especially given that the GOP went into the election holding all five.
The momentum for Democrats didn’t stop at Georgia’s border. In Virginia, Democrats swept the governor’s race and the attorney general’s office — a serious reversal for Republicans in a state they once comfortably carried. That win, however, comes with a controversial footnote: Jay Jones, the newly elected attorney general, faced backlash for text messages sent in 2022 in which he appeared to fantasize about Republican lawmakers being shot, including then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children.
Jones has not publicly addressed the messages since the story resurfaced during the final stretch of the campaign. Despite the controversy, he won.
The GOP’s underperformance in Georgia adds to a series of close calls and small but meaningful defeats in state-level races. Earlier this year, they narrowly avoided a loss in a Georgia Senate special election, where Democrat Debra Shigley forced a runoff. Though Republican Jason Dickerson won the seat, it took a runoff to secure it — a far cry from the easy wins Republicans once enjoyed in suburban and rural Georgia districts.
Taken together, these results suggest that Republicans may be underestimating how deeply economic anxieties and cultural fatigue are cutting through the electorate — even in races traditionally decided by party-line inertia. Democrats, meanwhile, are starting to field candidates who can harness kitchen-table issues in places that used to be safe Republican territory.
