{"id":2507187,"date":"2025-11-05T16:49:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T21:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-sees-warning-signs-ossoff-sees-hope-after-2025-elections\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T16:51:55","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T21:51:55","slug":"gop-sees-warning-signs-ossoff-sees-hope-after-2025-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-sees-warning-signs-ossoff-sees-hope-after-2025-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP sees warning signs, Ossoff sees hope after 2025 elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgop-sees-warning-signs-ossoff-sees-hope-after-2025-elections%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2507187&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The recent election in Georgia saw Democrats achieve a significant breakthrough by winning two <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bipartisan-group-of-senators-introduce-bill-to-ban-chinese-telecom-giant-huawei\/\" title=\"Bipartisan Group Of Senators Introduce Bill To Ban Chinese Telecom Giant Huawei\">public service commissioner<\/a> seats, positions that regulate public utilities like gas and electricity. Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson both secured over 60% of the vote in a contest that marked the first statewide constitutional office win for Democrats in Georgia in 20 years. This victory, driven largely by a focused campaign on affordability and rising energy costs, is being viewed by Georgia Democrats and Senator Jon Ossoff as a positive sign heading into the 2026 Senate race.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats concentrated their messaging on the high cost of living and utility prices, avoiding broader national partisan issues. Their success was bolstered by strong grassroots efforts,considerable spending by groups such as Georgia Conservation Voters,and effective leadership within the Georgia Democratic Party. The result has boosted morale among Democrats, who see it as momentum for upcoming elections.<\/p>\n<p>Conversely, Republicans faced challenges with their messaging and campaign strategy. Despite heavy spending and Governor brian Kemp&#8217;s involvement, several traditionally Republican areas either swung toward Democrats or saw reduced margins. The GOP is now preparing for the 2026 Senate race, with several candidates entering the contest, but their fundraising and grassroots efforts currently lag behind Ossoff&#8217;s. The election outcome has raised concerns among Republicans about their messaging and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/los-angeles-seals-the-democrats-leftward-lurch-on-immigration\/\" title=\"Los Angeles seals the ...\u2019 leftward lurch on immigration\">electoral prospects moving forward<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Republicans see warning signs, Ossoff sees hope after public sevice commissioner oustings<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2393538\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/georgia\/\">Georgia<\/a> Democrats are touting their wins on Tuesday as a sign of what&rsquo;s to come in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-elections\/\">2026 Senate election<\/a> as <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican\/\">Republicans<\/a> face concerns about their messaging.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3876184\/democrats-2025-election-victories-big-and-small-races\/\">Democrats win big and small races in the 2025 election<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3876615\/turning-point-shows-influence-mesa-councilwoman-recall\/\">Turning Point shows influence persists after Kirk assassination with Mesa councilwoman ousting<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3875969\/california-gop-proposition-50-lawsuit\/\">GOP files lawsuit challenging California&#8217;s Proposition 50 victory<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3876223\/ballot-measures-what-passed-2025-elections\/\">BALLOT MEASURES: WHAT PASSED AND WHAT DIDN&rsquo;T IN THE 2025 ELECTIONS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Democratic leadership immediately cheered the result, with Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin saying, &ldquo;This victory is a direct response to [Republicans&rsquo;] cost-raising agenda that is squeezing pocketbooks in Georgia and across the country.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Georgia Senate race next year is sure to be a top priority for both parties, with Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jon-ossoff\/\">Jon Ossoff<\/a> (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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/martel-new-jersey-race-proves-republicans-engaging-deep-blue-areas-works\/\" title=\"Martel: New Jersey Race Proves ...s Engaging Deep Blue Areas Works\">win statewide office<\/a> since Reconstruction and then went on to usher in an era of GOP dominance in the state.<\/p>\n<p>Off-year elections often favor the party not in power nationally, so these results shouldn&rsquo;t be taken as certain of the way the wind will blow next November. However, Ossoff&rsquo;s early polling strength, along with the shocking margin for Democrats this week, may be a bellwether.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>DNC Vice Chairwoman Jane Kleeb said Democratic candidates are headed into the 2026 midterm elections &ldquo;with incredible wind behind our backs.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-democrats-did-right-in-georgia-nbsp\">What Democrats did right in Georgia&nbsp;<\/h2>\n<p>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, &ldquo;Affordability is front and center in voters&rsquo; minds, and today they overwhelmingly said they&rsquo;re tired of subsidizing corporate interests at the expense of their families.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;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&rsquo;s work on the public interest,&rdquo; he continued.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Public service commissioners regulate pricing and access for public utilities, including gas and telecommunications.<\/p>\n<p>With energy prices rising, the candidates honed in on higher electricity and gas prices in their campaigning. Outside <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >spending drove home messaging<\/a> about energy price concerns, with Georgia Conservation Voters contributing <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/georgiarecorder.com\/2025\/11\/04\/democrat-alicia-johnson-appears-to-defeat-longtime-georgia-utility-regulator\/\">at least $2.2 million<\/a> in the races, according to the <em>Georgia Recorder<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The message of this election is unmistakable: Georgians demand an end to utility bill rate hikes and corporate politics as usual on the PSC,&rdquo; GCV Executive Director Briont&eacute; McCorkle said during the campaign.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are officially putting Georgia Republicans on notice,&rdquo; Bailey said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ossoff praised Bailey&rsquo;s results, calling the Democratic Party of Georgia an &ldquo;unstoppable turnout juggernaut&rdquo; in a positive sign for his attitude going into the 2026 midterm season.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Georgia senator waded into the leadership battle for the state party, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3228311\/pressure-georgia-democratic-party-chair-step-down\/\">favoring Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) to be replaced<\/a> as chairwoman after Democrats&rsquo; poor showing during the 2024 election.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Having a message that people can touch, and the organizing behind it to remind them who&rsquo;s responsible, gives Democrats a roadmap for 2026 and beyond,&rdquo; Dasheika Ruffin, a Georgia Democratic political operative, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ajc.com\/politics\/2025\/11\/landslide-psc-sweep-jolts-georgia-democrats-ahead-of-2026-midterms\/\">told <\/a>the <em>Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-republicans-did-wrong-in-georgia\">What Republicans did wrong in Georgia<\/h2>\n<p>The public service commissioner position hadn&rsquo;t been put in front of voters since 2020 due to a lawsuit challenging the commission&rsquo;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&rsquo;d face greater mobilization from their opposition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On top of that, Kemp&rsquo;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, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re attempting to scare our Republican base.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Many Republican strongholds swung to the left. Paulding County, which President Donald Trump won with 61% of the vote, ended <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/results.sos.ga.gov\/results\/public\/paulding-county-ga\/elections\/MunicipalGeneralSpecialElectionPSC11042025\">in a draw<\/a> on Tuesday night.<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/results.sos.ga.gov\/results\/public\/Georgia\/elections\/MunicipalGeneralSpecialElectionPSC11042025\/ballot-items\/01000000-b5ce-a69b-6aaf-08de06bd5e58?st=Columbia%20County&amp;sv=01000000-503e-8628-c48e-08de07395aa6&amp;sm=id\"> Columbia County<\/a>, which Trump<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/maps.columbiacountyga.gov\/Election\/20241105_GeneralElection\/election.html\"> won with 62%<\/a> of the vote in 2024, went to the Democratic candidates, with 51.9% of the vote.<\/p>\n<p>Forsyth County, which didn&rsquo;t flip for the Democratic candidates, still saw a leftward swing of about 10 points. Democratic strongholds such as <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/results.sos.ga.gov\/results\/public\/clayton-county-ga\/elections\/MunicipalGeneralSpecialElectionPSC11042025\">Clayton<\/a> and <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/results.sos.ga.gov\/results\/public\/dekalb-county-ga\/elections\/MunicipalGeneralSpecialElectionPSC11042025\">DeKalb<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>Despite Echols&rsquo;s criticism of Kemp&rsquo;s PAC&rsquo;s efforts, Republican operative Garrison Douglas said the group intends to be &ldquo;heavily involved in the 2026 cycle,&rdquo; according to the <em>Atlanta Journal-Constitution<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3876480\/schumer-shutdown-gamble-big-election-wins\/\">HOW THE &lsquo;SCHUMER SHUTDOWN&rsquo; BACKFIRED ON GOP, DELIVERING HUGE NIGHT FOR DEMOCRATS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A handful of Republicans have already announced their candidacy for the Senate spot, though, notably, leadership&rsquo;s wishes for Kemp to throw his hat in the ring didn&rsquo;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. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3489917\/football-coach-derek-dooley-launches-georgia-senate-campaign\/\">Kemp has endorsed Dooley<\/a> against the wishes of the Republican National Committee.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>None of the three Republican candidates has come close to Ossoff&rsquo;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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GOP warned as Ossoff finds hope in Georgia commissioner wins<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2970,"featured_media":2507188,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-collage-780z37h4m-1762375215003.jpg?1762360803&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[44459,6203,47334],"class_list":["post-2507187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-2025-elections","tag-gop","tag-ossoff"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-collage-780z37h4m-1762375215003.jpg?1762360803&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2507187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2970"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2507187"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2507187\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2507191,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2507187\/revisions\/2507191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2507188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2507187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2507187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2507187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}