Democrats Clara Pratte and Jonathon Hill held narrow leads Wednesday in the race for two seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission, the powerful regulatory board that oversees state utilities.
They maintained narrow leads over Republican incumbent Kevin Thompson while Republican state Rep. Ralph Heap trailed the three other major party candidates.
Pratte and Hill sent out early morning statements after election night deeming the race "too close to call."
Arizona election results remain unofficial until local and state officials have tallied all ballots and certified the results. It could take several days or weeks to confirm a winner in close races.
“Every ballot is important. And every one will be tallied," Hill said in a statement. "I want to thank the county recorders, poll workers and volunteers who work so hard to protect our democracy. They are tonight’s heroes."
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The powerful regulatory board that oversees Arizona utilities, pipelines and railroad safety will have at least one new commissioner after the Nov. 3 general election.
Just one incumbent, Thompson, remained in the race after the primary. Fellow Commissioner Nick Myers, who was first elected in 2022, was narrowly defeated by Heap in the Republican primary.
Two Democrats, Hill and Pratte, as well as write-in Green Party candidate Mike Cease, are hoping to shift the political makeup of the five-member commission. The board has been fully made up of Republicans since the departure of Democrat Anna Tovar at the end of 2024.
Republican Arizona Corporation Commission candidate Kevin Thompson, right, debates Democratic challengers Clara Pratte and Jonathon Hill in September at the Sneaky Big studios in Scottsdale.
Candidates running for the Corporation Commission through the Clean Elections program are eligible for almost $148,000 in primary election funds and just under $222,000 in general election funding. Thompson, Pratte and Hill have all reported more than $385,000. Heap, who returned the primary funding, has a little over $232,000 in his war chest. Privately-financed Cease has raised $5,000.
Although Thompson, Heap, Hill and Pratte all qualified for public financing through the Clean Elections program, the race has drawn various ethics complaints.
Energy affordability, renewable energy and large-load customers like data centers have become major issues throughout the election cycle, especially after a report on an independent analysis suggested residential Arizona Public Service Co. customers may take on some costs associated with large users through a monthly fee. APS and the commission disputed the report.
The election comes as several of the state's largest utilities are seeking rate increases. APS and °µÍø³Ô¹Ï Electric Power are nearing the end of their ratemaking process, where the utilities are seeking roughly 14% increases. Southwest Gas and water company EPCOR also recently filed ratemaking requests.
Several utilities are also hoping to establish formula rates, which would regularly adjust rates using set standards. Proponents say formula rates, permitted by the commission in 2024, could prevent rate shock with more frequent, incremental increases, rather than massive increases after several years. Opponents counter that formula rates could limit scrutiny on each increase and drive up costs for customers.
