Political Power Play on the PSC

Stan Wise, Chairman of Georgia’s Public Service Commission, is stepping down as of February. Resigning means the Governor will appoint somebody to fill the vacancy, and the AJC’s Political Insiders have taken special notice of the calendar:

“The timing of Wise’ announcement is far from accidental. Qualifying for the May primaries is in March. Also, like other statewide elected officials and state lawmakers, office-holders are barred from raising campaign cash during the session.

 Look for Governor Deal to quickly announce a replacement to fill out Wise’ term and gain some advantage from incumbency. Our money is on Tricia Pridemore of Marietta, whom Deal once backed – unsuccessfully – for state GOP chairman.”

The Public Service Commission is one of those “boring but important” institutions that most folks don’t think about. If the speculation is accurate, Tricia Pridemore would be a pretty good replacement.