‘Politically Georgia’ hosts candidate forum for Public Service Commissioner race

“The main thing the Public Service Commission does for most people in Georgia is it sets electricity and gas rates,” he said. “So this has a direct impact on your personal finances. This is how much you pay on your monthly bill.”

So far, early voting turnout has been low.

“Part of the problem with low turnout across the state is people don’t know the names of the Public Service Commissioners and perhaps don’t really follow their very detailed and wonky type of work,” said Niesse. “But they do feel the impact.”

Later in the podcast, AJC political columnist Patricia Murphy and senior political reporter Greg Bluestein interviewed Republican Commissioner Tim Echols, the District 2 incumbent.

Echols faces challenger Lee Muns in the Republican primary. On the other side of the aisle, Democrat Alicia Johnson is running unopposed in her party’s primary.

Finally Bluestein hosted a candidate forum with Democrats for the Atlanta-based District 3.

Software analyst Robert Jones, project director Peter Hubbard and former Atlanta City Council member Keisha Sean Waites joined Bluestein. The winner of that primary will go on to challenge Republican Commissioner Fitz Johnson in November. Johnson was appointed to the seat by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2021.

Listen to the latest episode of the “Politically Georgia” podcast to hear answers from the candidates for PSC.

The Politically Georgia team did reach out to candidate Muns, but he did not show up to be recorded.

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