(The Center Square) - Stephanie Hilferty and John E. Atkins won election to the Louisiana Public Service Commission on Tuesday, giving Republicans a 4-1 majority on the state’s primary regulator of electric, gas and water utilities, including the rates paid by residential and commercial consumers.

Hilferty won District 1 with 174,292, votes, or 59%, according to unofficial results from the Louisiana Secretary of State. Democrat Connie Norris received 81,329 votes, or 28%, while Independent Christopher Justin finished third with 38,831 votes. In District 1, Hilferty and former Jefferson Parish President John Young advanced to a June 27 runoff after neither received a majority.

Atkins won District 5 with 161,038 votes, or 59%, according to unofficial results from the Louisiana Secretary of State. Democrat James Edward Greeen received 111,188 votes, or 41%.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission develops state energy policies and regulations shaping multi-billion-dollar investments in AI data centers across the state, such as Hut 8's proposed River Bend AI Campus in District 1 with tenants that include Anthropic and Google and Meta’s planned $50 billion Hyperion facility in District 5.

Hilferty, 40, a Republican state representative representing parts of Jefferson and Orleans parishes, campaigned on her work in the Louisiana Legislature to audit, restructure and reform the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board. The New Orleans native promised during her election campaign to bring a “watchdog” focus to the commission and said she will protect the wallets of ordinary ratepayers.

In District 5, Republican Atkins, 62, a Caddo Parish commissioner since 2015 and manager at Atco Investment Company, centered his campaign on economic oversight of the state’s utilities, including Entergy Louisiana and CLECO. A former energy management consultant at McKinsey & Company, Atkins said during his election campaign that big tech companies must pay 100% of the cost of the power plants, transmission lines and substations needed to support their data centers.

Hilferty is taking the seat now held by Eric Skrmetta, chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, who is term-limited after 18 years representing District 1. In District 5, Atkins replaces Foster Campbell, a populist Democrat who is retiring after 24 years on the commission and nearly a half-century in elected public office.

The lone Democrat on the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Devante Lewis, represents District 3, an area that includes parts of the Baton Rouge and New Orleans greater metropolitan areas along with the River Parishes.