‘AI watchman’ Jim Zeigler defeats incumbent to win Republican nomination for PSC

Jim Zeigler is heading back to the Alabama Public Service Commission. Nearly 52 years after he first made waves as a 24-year-old University of Alabama graduate who took on the institution’s “Machine,” the 78-year-old Republican secured the GOP nomination for the PSC Place 2 seat on Tuesday.

With over 98% of the vote reported, Zeigler maintained a commanding 8,000-vote lead over incumbent Chris Beeker. He is now set for a November showdown against Madison County Democratic Party chair Sheila McNeil.

A Campaign Focused on the Future of AI

Zeigler noted that while his political origin story predates the invention of the Apple computer, his current victory was fueled by a modern message: serving as a watchdog for industrial-scale artificial intelligence developments in Alabama.

Speaking to supporters at Wintzell’s Oyster House in west Mobile, Zeigler emphasized the lack of oversight regarding massive data centers, solar farms, and carbon capture projects. "Alabama is targeted by these industrial scale data centers, solar farms and carbon capture projects," Zeigler said. "I’ve asked the question, 'Who in Montgomery is overseeing all of that?' The crowd would go quiet. I would say, 'that’s the correct answer -- no one.'"

He pledged that this oversight gap would end upon his return to the commission, stating, "That comes to a screeching halt when I take office on the Public Service Commission. I’m going to be a watchman over these AI developments."

Zeigler’s campaign capitalized on public anxiety regarding energy rates and the state's handling of infrastructure growth. Recent data center development has intensified public scrutiny on the PSC, especially as federal data shows Alabama residential electricity consumers paid an average of 17.01 cents per kilowatt-hour in March, ranking among the highest in the South.

An Anti-Incumbent Wave

Zeigler is the latest in a series of challengers to unseat incumbents this cycle. Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry previously defeated Place 1 Commissioner Jeremy Oden by a near 3-to-1 margin. Beeker, who was appointed to the seat two years ago to finish his father’s term, saw his campaign struggle despite endorsements from influential groups like the Alabama Farmers Federation’s FarmPAC, Manufacture Alabama, and the Alabama Realtors Association.

Looking toward the general election, Democratic nominee Sheila McNeil told 205focus.com that the race should transcend party lines. "It is about whether Alabama families can afford their utility bills, whether the Public Service Commission works for the people or powerful interests, and whether ratepayers have a commissioner who will ask tough questions," McNeil said.

A Career of Persistence

The winner of the November 5 contest will join a commission that is currently expanding from three members to seven, following legislative passage of the “Power to the People Act.”

For Zeigler, the win marks a significant return to the spotlight after a long, often difficult history of running for various statewide offices. Known for his "watchman" persona—including his famous 2016 "empty chair" interview stunt—Zeigler remains undeterred by the status quo. Reflecting on his long political road and his past opposition to the I-10 toll bridge project—which he documented in a book about the citizens’ revolt—Zeigler remains focused on his next chapter. "I’m like the U.S. Senator of the Public Service Commission," he declared at his rally.