After years of stalled elections for Georgia’s commissioner, the 2025 Forsyth County Special Elections occurred on Tuesday Nov. 4 at all 29 Forsyth County polling locations.
The candidates for district two were Tim Elchols from the Republican Party and Alicia Johnson from the Democratic Party. For district three, the candidates were Fitz Johnson from the Republican Party and Peter Hubbard for the Democratic Party.
From district two, Alicia Johnson came out victorious by 63 percent, versus Echols with 37 percent. In district three, Hubbard was elected as the new public service commissioner with 63 percent versus Fitz Johnson who had 37 percent.
For the first time since 2004, Democrats hold seats in Georgia’s Public Service Commission. Furthermore, after nearly 20 years, Hubbad and Alicia Johnson have become the first Democrats to win a non-federal statewide election in Georgia.
Along with being one of the first Democrats to win in Georgia’s PSC, Alicia Johnson will also become the first black woman to be elected to a statewide partisan in Georgia.
The power the PSC holds is enormous at the current moment. Georgia is dealing with an increase in energy demands due to all the data centers being built in Atlanta to power AI. This could lead to energy being doubled for the next decade.
According to the Hill, the Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin, applauds the Democrats win in PSC and adds “This victory is a direct response to Trump’s cost-raising agenda that is squeezing pocketbooks in Georgia and across the country.”
The Atlanta Journal constitution expected the Democratic candidates to overthrow the two Republican incumbents, or current officeholders. Democrats won people’s votes by focusing their attention on the biggest problem they are facing: the rising electricity bills. In a Wisconsin Junior College League article, Kimberly Martin, a political science professor, said Democrats found a message which resonates to the public. Their goal turned out to be the winning message.
The Special Elections aren’t typically considered vital. However, with recent events and the sudden change in parties after two decades, Georgia civilians are anticipating the changes that will occur for the State’s electricity bill.