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NGA CAN's Progressive Picks: Georgia Public Service Commission on May 19, 2026
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
About These Voter Guides
North Georgia Community Action Network (NGA CAN) is built on a simple principle: democracy works when everyone participates, and it works better when ordinary people—not billionaires and corporations—drive the decisions that affect our lives.
Our membership is genuinely diverse. We have leftists and progressives, Democrats and Independents, libertarians and anarchists, and yes, even some Republicans. We have people who disagree on plenty of things.
What unites us is not a single ideology, but shared commitments:
Transparency in government. We believe decisions that affect our communities should be made in public, with input from the people they affect.
Real access to democracy. We fight for voting rights, fair elections, and an end to gerrymandering and voter suppression.
Civic engagement. We believe ordinary people should have a seat at the table—in city council meetings, school board meetings, county commissions, and state legislatures.
People over billionaires. We oppose the consolidation of power in the hands of wealthy individuals and corporations that can buy elections, block affordable housing, raise utility rates, and dodge accountability.
We Are Unapologetically Progressive
Our voter guides are assembled by NGA CAN using publicly available candidate information, endorsements, and platforms. They reflect our research into who will advance these shared values in the races we cover.
We are unapologetically progressive in these guides. That is intentional, not accidental. NGA CAN was founded on progressive, common-sense values—the belief that government should work for working people, that public services matter, that the environment is worth protecting, that everyone deserves healthcare and a decent wage. Our guides reflect that perspective.
This does not mean candidates who aren't our top pick are "bad." Politics is not binary. A candidate might excel on government transparency but disagree with us on healthcare policy. Another might prioritize environmental protection differently than we do. Our guides are written for people whose north star is progressivism—but we respect that your north star might point somewhere else entirely.
How to Use These Guides
These guides are tools for thinking, not commands for voting. We research candidates' stated positions, endorsements, track records, and willingness to be accountable. We share what we find.
You should:
Read the information critically
Research candidates on your own
Attend candidate forums and debates
Talk to your neighbors about who they support and why
Vote according to your values, not ours
Our Endorsements
Coming May 16, NGA CAN will announce formal endorsements for select races chosen by our vetted members in their specific districts and counties. Those endorsements go further—they represent not just research, but active member deliberation and democratic decision-making within our organization.
These guides are the research foundation for those endorsements. They are as honest as we can make them about candidates' positions and priorities.
The guides are biased toward progressivism. That's the point. If you're looking for an unbiased, neutral guide, this isn't it. We're transparent about who we are and what we value. From there, you decide what matters to you.
Voting Information
Election Day: May 19, 2026, 7 AM to 7 PM
Early Voting: April 27 through May 15, 2026 (location varies by county)
Check your registration and sample ballot: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov
Find your polling location: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov
These guides were prepared by North Georgia Community Action Network (NGA CAN) and reflect publicly available information as of May 7, 2026.
Two Public Service Commission seats are on the ballot May 19. Both are critical. If Democrats win both in November's general election, the PSC flips from Republican to Democratic control for the first time since 2002.
Why the PSC Matters
The PSC sets Georgia Power's rates, approves utility expansion, and decides whether Georgia invests in cheap renewable energy or subsidizes corporate data centers. For 20 years, Republicans controlled the 5-member commission, rubber-stamping Georgia Power's agenda. Residential customers paid the price: Georgia Power raised rates six times in three years, adding over $40 to average monthly bills.
If Democrats win both seats in November, the PSC becomes 3-2 Democratic. This means:
Renewable energy becomes the priority, not fossil fuels
Data center subsidies end; customers no longer pay for corporate infrastructure
Residential ratepayers get protection instead of cost-shifting
District 3: Re-Elect Peter Hubbard
Peter Hubbard is running unopposed in the Democratic primary on May 19. He won the special election for this seat in November 2025, defeating Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson with 63% of the vote. Hubbard is now seeking a full six-year term. In November, he'll face either Fitz Johnson (seeking revenge) or Brandon Martin in the general election.
Hubbard's track record:
Before taking office, Hubbard founded the Georgia Center for Energy Solutions, spending six years testifying before the PSC against Georgia Power's "flawed and overpriced" plans. Using his 15 years of energy sector experience—including work as a solar developer building grid-scale renewables—he submitted alternative plans that would have kept bills low.
Since becoming Commissioner in January 2026:
Published a data center cost analysis showing data center electricity discounts shift over one billion dollars in infrastructure costs onto residential customers
Challenged the 2025 fossil fuel buildout: Voted against the PSC's approval of Georgia Power's massive grid expansion designed to serve corporate data centers instead of investing in renewables
Testified before state legislature on the need for new laws to protect Georgia consumers from utility cost-shifting
Cut Republican supermajority: Reduced the Republican voting majority from 5-0 to 3-2 by voting with Commissioner Alicia Johnson
Vote for Peter Hubbard for PSC District 3 on May 19.
District 5: Angelia Pressley is the Most Progressive Choice
Three Democrats are competing in the contested primary for District 5. Angelia Pressley is the most progressive choice.
Background: Clark Atlanta University professor, business owner, and clean energy advocate who has spent the past two years testifying before the PSC on behalf of ratepayers and the environment.
Why Pressley stands out:
She will revoke data center power plant approvals. In debate, Pressley explicitly stated she would try to revoke approval of the new power plants the PSC approved to serve corporate data centers. This is the most aggressive progressive position in the race. Her opponents want better oversight; Pressley wants to undo the existing bad deals that are costing Georgia families over $1 billion.
She has demonstrated PSC engagement. For two years, Pressley has been showing up to PSC meetings and testifying against Georgia Power's agenda. She knows the issues and the commissioners. She has skin in the game.
She has a bold renewable energy target. Pressley proposed pushing Georgia Power toward a majority-renewables generation mix—more aggressive than her opponents' calls for "accountability" or "rewriting rules."
On the Other Candidates in District 5
All the candidates are great choices, and while we select candidates based on our progressive values, you may also want to choose one of them. Here is why we didn't pick them:
Craig Cupid brings technical expertise and wants to rewrite data center rules. But he entered the race late and hasn't demonstrated the level of PSC engagement or willingness to take bold action that Pressley has shown.
Shelia Edwards has political experience and a clear focus on cost protection. But her recent electoral losses (including losing the Cobb County chair primary in 2024) and less aggressive stance on revoking data center approvals make her a less progressive choice than Pressley.
About PSC Elections
The PSC is statewide, meaning every eligible voter in Georgia can vote in both races, no matter where you live.
Early voting runs April 27 through May 15.
Election Day: May 19, 2026, 7 AM to 7 PM
Check your sample ballot: https://mvp.sos.ga.gov
North Georgia Community Action Network (NGA CAN) is a volunteer-led progressive civic organization with thousands of members across Cherokee, Pickens, Bartow, Forsyth, Cobb, and surrounding Georgia counties. We fight for transparency in government, real access to democracy, and a Georgia where ordinary people—not billionaires and corporations—drive the decisions that affect our lives.
A Final Disclaimer
NGA CAN creates voter guides to help our community make informed progressive choices in elections where multiple candidates are running. This guide reflects research into candidates' stated platforms, endorsements from labor unions, environmental organizations, civil rights groups, and other progressive allies, as well as candidates' records in public service where available. Voters should conduct their own research and vote according to their values.
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