Candidates for Georgia’s Public Service Commission are racing to energize their voters ahead of November’s election.
Republicans held a rally in Forsyth County Tuesday evening for PSC Commissioners Fitz Johnson and Tim Echols. Gov. Brian Kemp, Attorney General Chris Carr, and U.S. Rep. Mike Collins spoke in support of the commissioners.
In his speech to the crowd, Fitz Johnson insisted that Democrats’ clean energy proposals will raise prices for consumers.
“We are not gonna let them California our Georgia,” he said. “We’ve worked way too hard for this great state.”
The Republican-controlled PSC has raised the cost of power six times in two years. The current rates were recently frozen for the next three years.
Johnson’s Democratic challenger, Peter Hubbard, said his plans keep rates affordable, pushing back at his opponent’s accusations.
“All he’s done is vote to increase prices for consumers in this state,” he said Wednesday.
(Sarah Kallis/GPB News)
Hubbard participated in a debate in Atlanta on Wednesday morning, but Johnson declined the invitation.
Another PSC commissioner, Tim Echols, is also facing a Democratic opponent, Alicia Johnson.
Echols slammed Johnson at Tuesday’s rally, calling her a “DEI specialist.”
“She wants to bring DEI and wokeness to the PSC,” he said.
Meanwhile, Johnson and Hubbard appealed to their base Friday with an address to the Democratic Party of Georgia at the party’s annual fundraising dinner.
“Over the past several years, because of failed Republican leadership on the all-Republican PSC, utility rates have continued to skyrocket,” she said. “Public trust has eroded, and clean energy progress in our state has stalled.”
While Democrats turned out in higher numbers than Republicans in June 17’s primary election, turnout rates for the two PSC races are expected to be low. Early voting begins Oct. 14.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News
