Johnson’s path to the Georgia Public Service Commission’s statewide post began with a ceremonial swearing-in Monday in Atlanta, where she was surrounded by family, friends and supporters ahead of taking office Thursday, the Associated Press reported. In remarks to reporters, Johnson described the moment as both a personal responsibility and an overdue milestone, calling the election a “historic milestone.”
Johnson said she understands the pressure that can accompany being first, telling reporters that “anybody who does something for the first time has a — you know it could be an overwhelming sense of responsibility.” She also acknowledged the significance of the state commission’s long history while emphasizing the reality of her selection, adding, “It’s a shame that a commission that has over a 100-year history, that I’m the first anything on it. But the reality is, that’s who we are.”
Her election and upcoming term are tied to Georgia Power Co., the state’s only private electrical utility and the company whose rates the Public Service Commission regulates. With 2.7 million customers, Georgia Power is part of the Atlanta-based Southern Co. system, and the commission’s decisions affect the bills paid by households across the state.
In November, Johnson and her fellow Democratic winner, Peter Hubbard, defeated incumbent Republicans Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson in what AP characterized as blowout victories. The Associated Press reported that public discontent with rising electricity bills and increased data center development helped power those wins.
Johnson also became the first Black woman elected to Georgia’s partisan statewide office, AP said. The Associated Press noted that while multiple Black women have won nonpartisan elections to statewide courts after governors appointed them, Johnson’s win marks a new first for a different type of statewide role.
In the lead-up to the start of the term, AP reported that the commission had been made up of five Republicans. After Johnson and Hubbard take office, the commission’s membership is still expected to leave Republicans in control, with a three-member GOP majority remaining on the Public Service Commission.
Johnson said she has met with two of those Republican commissioners to discuss ways to work together. She framed her role as directly connected to the lived impact of utility regulation, saying, “I accept this responsibility fully aware that the decisions made in this room and in this role affects families’ monthly bills, their community health, their economic opportunity and our shared future.”