Broadband Advocate Seeks to Swing Louisiana PSC to 3-2 Democratic Majority
Democrats could take control of Louisiana's telecom regulator after commissioner elections, but no other such dramatic shifts are possible in states that elect utility commissioners. A Democrat running for a Republican seat at the Louisiana Public Service Commission -- and who has listed affordable internet as a campaign priority -- could give her party a 3-2 majority. In another race, NARUC Telecom Committee Chairman Chris Nelson is running for re-election in South Dakota. In total across the country, elections will be held for 17 state commissioner seats in 10 states.
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The Louisiana PSC is the only commission where power may change hands in this year’s elections, according to Ballotpedia. The commission is currently 3-2 GOP, but one of the Republicans, Commissioner Clyde Holloway, who died last week, had announced his retirement earlier this year (see 1610200029). Two Republicans and a Democrat will run for the seat in a Nov. 8 primary and the top two will face off in a Dec. 10 run-off election unless one wins at least half of the vote in November. Democratic Commissioner Lambert Boissiere is up for re-election but runs unopposed, meaning Democrats will have at least two seats in 2017.
Spreading broadband is on the campaign platform for Mary Werner, the Democrat running for Holloway’s seat. “I’ll make it a priority to bring affordable, high-speed internet to every corner of our state,” she said in a campaign video posted Wednesday. When Werner launched her campaign in June, the Sweet Lake Land & Oil director said one policy goal is to expand, increase reliability, and make more affordable high-speed internet for citizens, businesses, healthcare providers and law enforcement. Werner’s GOP rivals -- Francis Drilling Fluids CEO Mike Francis and Diamond B Construction Director-External Relations Reldon Owens -- don’t mention internet or other telecom issues on their websites, and didn’t comment now.
Other commissioner elections won’t change the party in control. The Arizona Corporation Commission (5-0 GOP) has three Republican seats at stake, but only two Democrats are running. Similarly, the Montana PSC (5-0 GOP) has three Republican seats at stake, but the party will keep its majority because one race lacks a Democratic challenger. The Nebraska PSC (4-1 GOP) has two Republican seats in the election, but no Democratic contenders. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (4-1 Democrat) has two Democratic seats at stake but no Republicans seeking them. The Alabama PSC (3-0 GOP), Georgia PSC (5-0 GOP), North Dakota PSC (3-0 GOP), South Dakota PUC (3-0 GOP) and Oklahoma Corporation Commission (3-0 GOP) each have only one Republican seat up for vote, so there’s no danger of a switch.
Up for re-election at the South Dakota PSC is Nelson, the Republican chairman who leads NARUC’s telecom committee and sits on the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. Lakota Solar Enterprise owner Henry Red Cloud challenged Nelson for the seat, and he has focused on renewable energy issues. A key priority for Nelson is to solve South Dakota’s “rural/rural divide,” in which “a farm on one side of a gravel road has fiber optic broadband and a neighbor on the other side of the road has no availability to broadband of any kind,” Nelson emailed Friday. “As I travel the state I regularly hear about these areas.”
At the FCC, Nelson plans to fight for federal reform of USF contribution because he said the current methodology may not be sustainable. “If I am reelected," he emailed, "I want to use my position on the Universal Service Joint Board to provide a sound recommendation to the FCC on improving the contribution methodology.” Red Cloud didn’t comment.
Most states appoint commissioners, and six states have gubernatorial races where a change in parties is possible, according to Cook Political Report race ratings dated Aug. 12. Toss-up states with incumbent Democrats are Missouri, New Hampshire, Vermont and West Virginia; toss-ups with incumbent Republicans are Indiana and North Carolina. Some election watchers say the re-election race for North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) could have an impact on the state’s restrictive municipal broadband policies, which the FCC tried to pre-empt with an order overturned in court (see 1609270035).
“Missouri and Vermont are particularly well-versed on telecom issues, despite the fact that they have deregulated service for the most part,” said National Regulatory Research Institute Principal Sherry Lichtenberg. “What’s most important in all the states is having dedicated commissioners who understand the issues, particularly in terms of broadband deployment and adoption.”