Republicans Win State Commission Elections, Too
The GOP seemed poised to sweep state commission elections Tuesday, based on unofficial results Wednesday. All the races were in states that went red for President-elect Donald Trump and mostly for commissions that the GOP already dominated. It appeared that Democrats would lose their lone seat on the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) and miss a chance at flipping the Louisiana Public Service Commission blue.
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Meanwhile, New Mexico voters supported a ballot question authorizing millions of dollars for upgrading public safety communications.
NARUC Telecom Committee Chair Tim Schram (R) will return to the Nebraska PSC, as expected, as he was unopposed in the election. PSC Chair Dan Watermeier (R) also had no opponent and will return. Schram told us last month that he planned to focus on broadband, next-generation 911 and precision agriculture issues at the Nebraska PSC next year (see 2410180023).
ACC Chair Lea Marquez Peterson (R) looked likely to keep her commission job. With three seats available and 94% of precincts reporting, the leaders were Rachel Walden (17.9%), Rene Lopez (17.3%) and Marquez Peterson (16.8%). Walden was a school district board member and Lopez is a Navy veteran. They led over multiple Democrats and third-party candidates as of Wednesday afternoon.
Louisiana state Rep. Jean-Paul Coussan (R) was leading tech entrepreneur Nick Laborde (D) 54% to 26% with more than 95% of votes counted. If Coussan remains above 50%, he will win the election outright and avoid a run-off. Laborde told us last month that he had hoped to flip the 3-2 Republican commission and pursue an order to reduce rates for incarcerated people.
The Montana PSC will remain 5-0 Republican. Three seats were up for election. Incumbent Jennifer Fielder (R) defeated independent Elena Evans 55% to 45%. State legislator and former PSC member Brad Molnar (R) beat educator Susan Bilo (D) for the seat of term-limited Commissioner Tony O’Donnell (R) by a 60% to 40% margin. Jeffrey Welborn (R), another former state legislator, won against electrical union member Leonard William (D) 62% to 38%. Welborn will replace Commissioner James Brown (R), who ran for state auditor and won Tuesday.
Alabama PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh (R) won unopposed, extending her 14-year stay on the commission. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission’s 13-year incumbent, Kristie Fiegen (R), led challenger Forrest Wilson (D) by a margin of 68% to 27% with more than 95% of the votes in. North Dakota PSC Chair Randy Christmann (R) led 70% to 30% against Democratic challenger Tracey Wilkie with more than 95% of the vote counted.
Oklahoma House President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman (R) will likely replace Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony (R), who didn’t seek reelection after holding the job since 1989. Bingman led his Democratic opponent Harold Spradling 64% to 29% with more than 95% of the votes counted.
In New Mexico, 65% of voters supported a question asking whether the state should issue about $10 million in bonds for upgrading public safety communications. The legislature sought the funding “to plan, design, purchase, install and implement related infrastructure to stabilize and modernize public safety radio communications systems statewide."
Meanwhile, nearly 80% of Oregonians voted no on a universal basic income measure that targeted Comcast in campaign materials. Supporters specifically named the cable company as a big corporation that would foot the bill.