Georgia Democrats are touting their wins on Tuesday as a sign of what’s to come in the 2026 Senate election as Republicans face concerns about their messaging.
On Tuesday, Georgia voters ousted two Republican public service commissioners in favor of Democrats Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson. Both Democrats received over 60% of the vote. The election, which saw 1.5 million voters turn out, was the first time Democrats have won a statewide constitutional office in 20 years.
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Democratic leadership immediately cheered the result, with Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin saying, “This victory is a direct response to [Republicans’] cost-raising agenda that is squeezing pocketbooks in Georgia and across the country.”
The Georgia Senate race next year is sure to be a top priority for both parties, with Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) aiming to seize on the momentum from this election and Republicans working to reclaim the seat. The GOP might be thinking about the legacy of Bobby Baker in 1992. Baker was the first Republican to win statewide office since Reconstruction and then went on to usher in an era of GOP dominance in the state.
Off-year elections often favor the party not in power nationally, so these results shouldn’t be taken as certain of the way the wind will blow next November. However, Ossoff’s early polling strength, along with the shocking margin for Democrats this week, may be a bellwether.
DNC Vice Chairwoman Jane Kleeb said Democratic candidates are headed into the 2026 midterm elections “with incredible wind behind our backs.”
What Democrats did right in Georgia
The Democratic candidates for public service commissioners in Georgia both narrowly focused on cost-of-living messages. Their ad buys and public statements veered away from broader national conversations. In his victory speech, Hubbard held the line on affordability, saying, “Affordability is front and center in voters’ minds, and today they overwhelmingly said they’re tired of subsidizing corporate interests at the expense of their families.”
“As I serve out my first term on the Public Service Commission, I will work tirelessly to lower utility costs, to bring more clean, reliable energy resources to this state, and to refocus the Commission’s work on the public interest,” he continued.
Public service commissioners regulate pricing and access for public utilities, including gas and telecommunications.
With energy prices rising, the candidates honed in on higher electricity and gas prices in their campaigning. Outside spending drove home messaging about energy price concerns, with Georgia Conservation Voters contributing at least $2.2 million in the races, according to the Georgia Recorder.
“The message of this election is unmistakable: Georgians demand an end to utility bill rate hikes and corporate politics as usual on the PSC,” GCV Executive Director Brionté McCorkle said during the campaign.
This was the first race since Charlie Bailey was chosen as chairman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, and strategists praised his leadership. He ran biweekly phone banks, canvassed in metro Atlanta and college towns, and spent thousands in media buys, including a last-minute $250,000 spot.
“We are officially putting Georgia Republicans on notice,” Bailey said.
Ossoff praised Bailey’s results, calling the Democratic Party of Georgia an “unstoppable turnout juggernaut” in a positive sign for his attitude going into the 2026 midterm season.
The Georgia senator waded into the leadership battle for the state party, favoring Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) to be replaced as chairwoman after Democrats’ poor showing during the 2024 election.
“Having a message that people can touch, and the organizing behind it to remind them who’s responsible, gives Democrats a roadmap for 2026 and beyond,” Dasheika Ruffin, a Georgia Democratic political operative, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
What Republicans did wrong in Georgia
The public service commissioner position hadn’t been put in front of voters since 2020 due to a lawsuit challenging the commission’s at-large voting process. Republicans, including Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA), had voiced concerns that holding the election alongside other races on the ballot would mean they’d face greater mobilization from their opposition.
On top of that, Kemp’s political machine poured over a million dollars into the races, running ads on Fox News that featured the popular governor. One of the ousted commissioners, Troy Echols, criticized the at times cultural attacks, saying, “We’re attempting to scare our Republican base.”
Many Republican strongholds swung to the left. Paulding County, which President Donald Trump won with 61% of the vote, ended in a draw on Tuesday night. Columbia County, which Trump won with 62% of the vote in 2024, went to the Democratic candidates, with 51.9% of the vote.
Forsyth County, which didn’t flip for the Democratic candidates, still saw a leftward swing of about 10 points. Democratic strongholds such as Clayton and DeKalb counties, which former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024 with about 80% of the vote, became even stronger, with 92.% and 91% of voters, respectively, choosing the Democratic candidates for public service commissioner on Tuesday.
Despite Echols’s criticism of Kemp’s PAC’s efforts, Republican operative Garrison Douglas said the group intends to be “heavily involved in the 2026 cycle,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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A handful of Republicans have already announced their candidacy for the Senate spot, though, notably, leadership’s wishes for Kemp to throw his hat in the ring didn’t come true. Reps. Mike Collins (R-GA) and Buddy Carter (R-GA), as well as ex-football coach Derek Dooley, are running in 2026. Kemp has endorsed Dooley against the wishes of the Republican National Committee.
None of the three Republican candidates has come close to Ossoff’s fundraising as of October. The senator raised more than $12 million between July and September, whereas the most one of his opponents has raised is Collins with $1.7 million.
