In 2026, Louisiana elects two new Public Service Commissioners (in a new way)

Both commissioners are term-limited, meaning that neither can run for reelection.

Consequently, there will be two new Public Service Commissioners starting in 2027. But who those commissioners will be will be determined in somewhat different fashion than Louisiana voters are used to.

That’s because, for the first time, the race for the LPSC (as well as elections for Congress, State Supreme Court, and the state Board of Education) will be subject to the new closed primary system that Louisiana adopted in 2024. This means a number of changes–including more elections earlier in the year, no runoff elections in November or December, and creates the possibility that the ultimate winning candidates may be elected with a plurality–not a majority–of the vote.

What are closed primaries?

Louisiana has, for most of the last 50 years, utilized what is known as an open primary system (sometimes called the jungle primary) to elect all public offices. In that system, there is a general election in which every candidate, regardless of party, runs against one another. If no candidate won more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates faced off in a run-off election, usually held about a month later.

That’s changing as of 2026, thanks to a law passed by the state legislature in 2024 at the urging of Governor Jeff Landry. 

Now, Louisiana will use a closed primary system, in which members of each political party select nominees to face off in the general election – similar to how U.S. presidential elections work. That means, for the LPSC, there will be a Republican primary – in which all Republican candidates face each other – and a Democratic primary – in which all Democratic candidates will face each other. And while there may be runoffs in these partisan primary elections, there will be no runoff in the general election.

It is important for Louisiana voters to know: 

1. There will be as many as three elections for LPSC candidates in 2026 – the May 16th partisan primary, the potential June 27th primary runoff, and the November 3rd general election.
2. There will only be one Republican candidate and one Democratic candidate in the general election; the only other candidates on the ballot will be third party candidates, who must qualify by collecting ballot petition signatures.
3. The ultimate winner will not necessarily have to win an outright majority of the vote–they could win with a plurality (for instance, if there are three candidates, and Candidate A has 40% of the vote, Candidate B has 35% of the vote, and Candidate C has 25% of the vote, Candidate A would win the election).