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

After decades of maneuvering through Alabama politics, Jim Zeigler has secured the Republican nomination for the Alabama Public Service Commission's Place 2 seat. Zeigler, 78, defeated incumbent Chris Beeker in Tuesday's primary runoff, clinching a commanding 8,000-vote lead with over 98% of precincts reporting.

A Return to the Commission

Zeigler’s victory marks a full-circle moment nearly 52 years in the making. He first served on the utility regulatory body in 1974 at age 24, shortly after a landmark campus battle against the University of Alabama's “Machine.” Now, he is set to face Madison County Democratic Party chair Sheila McNeil in the November general election.

Unlike his political career of the 1970s, Zeigler’s current platform is built on his role as a self-styled “watchman” over the state's energy landscape. Addressing supporters at Wintzell’s Oyster House in west Mobile, Zeigler emphasized that his focus is on monitoring the proliferation of industrial-scale AI data centers, solar farms, and carbon capture projects.

“That comes to a screeching halt when I take office on the Public Service Commission,” Zeigler promised. “I’m going to be a watchman over these AI developments.”

Public Scrutiny and Energy Rates

The campaign arrived at a time of significant public pushback against rising utility costs. Federal data shows Alabama residential electricity consumers paid an average of 17.01 cents per kilowatt-hour in March, the highest rate in the South. Zeigler leveraged this frustration, arguing that the commission’s past decisions regarding rate freezes failed to protect ratepayers.

The surge in data center development has only intensified demands for transparency, a sentiment echoing across other GOP races as voters push back against incumbents. Beeker, who was appointed two years ago to finish his father’s term, is the second commissioner to fall this cycle following the defeat of Place 1 Commissioner Jeremy Oden.

Looking Toward November

Zeigler’s general election challenger, Sheila McNeil, told 205focus.com that the race should transcend partisan lines. “The contrast in this race is simple: more of the same, or a new voice focused on affordability, transparency, and accountability,” McNeil stated.

The winner of the Nov. 5 election will join an expanding commission. Under the “Power to the People Act” passed this spring, as signed by Governor Kay Ivey, the PSC is slated to grow from three members to seven, with four appointments expected by July 15. The legislation also establishes a cabinet-level secretary of energy to oversee the agency.

A Reputation for Flair

Zeigler, formerly the Alabama State Auditor, is no stranger to high-profile political theater. During his tenure as auditor, he famously held a press conference to “interview” an empty chair representing then-Governor Robert Bentley. He has also been a vocal critic of infrastructure projects, including his leading role in the opposition to the I-10 Mobile River Bridge & Bayway toll plan, an experience he later documented in a book.

Should he win in November, Zeigler will embark on a six-year term, with his sights set on fulfilling his role as the “U.S. Senator of the Public Service Commission.”