Longtime Alabama public service commissioner ousted from seat in Republican primary

Jeremy Oden, a fixture on the Alabama Public Service Commission since 2012, saw his time on the board come to an end Tuesday night. In a surprising turn during the Republican primary, the incumbent was unseated by retiring Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry, who leveraged a grassroots push to secure the nomination.

As of 11:00 p.m. with 72% of the vote counted, Gentry commanded a dominant lead with 74.8% of the vote compared to Oden’s 25.2%, according to the Associated Press. The margin was even more pronounced in their shared home of Cullman County, where Gentry captured 78.8% of the vote with all boxes counted, per the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. You can track the latest election results for this race and others here.

The Stakes for the Commission

The Public Service Commission holds significant weight as the body tasked with regulating the state’s electricity and natural gas providers. The 2026 election cycle has drawn heightened attention due to rising residential electricity rates, which current data from the Energy Information Administration shows are higher than those in most other southern states.

The landscape of the commission is undergoing a massive shift. While the board has traditionally consisted of three commissioners, a new law enacted earlier this year is expanding it to seven seats, organized by congressional district. Governor Kay Ivey is set to appoint four members this July, even before the general election results are fully seated. Furthermore, the legislation established a new “Secretary of Energy” cabinet position to steer the commission’s agenda.

Campaign Dynamics

Gentry entered the race with significant momentum, raising upwards of $650,000—the most of any candidate in the field. After announcing his retirement in 2024, he decided to pivot to the Public Service Commission with the intent of making a statewide impact. His campaign was bolstered by an endorsement from Farm PAC, which had previously backed Oden in 2022. Oden, who formerly served in the Alabama House of Representatives and managed an Eva Bank branch, raised roughly $260,000 for his reelection bid.

Democratic Primary Outlook

With the Republican primary decided, Gentry now awaits the winner of the Democratic side. As of late Tuesday, chiropractor James Gordon led the field with 58.8% of the vote, outpacing industrial electrician Jeff Ramsey, who held 26%. The Democratic primary also saw candidate John Northrop withdraw from the race, noting on Facebook that the legislative changes to the commission altered the position so significantly that it was no longer the role he intended to fill.

For real-time updates as the vote counts continue, click here for live updates on Alabama’s primary races.