Shelia Edwards wins Democratic Primary, faces Republican incumbent Johnson for PSC

Shelia Edwards, a veteran of Atlanta government and politics and the publisher of SPOTLIGHT South Cobb News, has won her three-way race and secured the Democratic nomination for the District 3 Public Service Commission (PSC) seat.

As polls closed and votes were tallied, Edwards led the vote count and never looked back. By the next morning, with nearly 97% of ballots counted, Edwards had garnered about 55% of the vote. Chandra Farley, an energy activist, and consultant placed second with about 31% of the vote, while small business owner Missy Moore sat in third with about 15%. The Associated Press called the race for Edwards at about 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25th.

A graduate of Benedict College, in Columbia, S.C. Edwards is a business owner and community advocate who has been very active in the South Cobb Community. Her professional credentials include a career in corporate America and working in and around government in Georgia on the local, state, and federal levels.  

By earning a majority of the votes cast, Edwards has avoided a runoff and will face incumbent Fitz Johnson, a Republican, in the general election this fall. Johnson was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp last year to replace former PSC Commissioner Chuck Eaton, who Gov. Kemp tapped for a judicial role. 

Though less well-known than other state regulatory bodies, the PSC and its five members play a major role in deciding where much of our electricity comes from and how much customers pay for it. The commission is also tasked with regulating Georgia Power, the state’s largest electric utility, which provides electricity to 2.7 million customers.