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When Congressman Barry Loudermilk announced his retirement, the race to succeed him in Georgia’s 11th District quickly drew attention across northwest Georgia. But for Tricia Pridemore, the decision to enter the race was not immediate.

“I had a lot of open cases and dockets at the commission that I wanted to finish,” Pridemore said. “And I also spent time talking with people at the White House because I meet with them frequently on energy and infrastructure issues.”

Pridemore, who has served on the Georgia Public Service Commission since 2018, says those conversations helped clarify the path forward. If the administration had a specific candidate in mind, she said, she would have stepped aside. But after learning no preferred candidate had been designated, she decided to enter the race.

Four weeks later, Pridemore has already launched an aggressive campaign.

Pridemore says the early response to her candidacy has been strong. In just three weeks, she raised more than $430,000 for the campaign and entered the race with more than $630,000 in cash on hand ahead of the first Federal Election Commission reporting deadline.

She has also moved quickly to reach voters across the sprawling district.

“I just work,” Pridemore said. “I’ve made more than 2,000 calls since I started.”

Pridemore enters a crowded Republican primary field that has shifted several times. Seven candidates initially entered the race, though two have since dropped out.

Energy policy sits at the center of Pridemore’s campaign. She says her years regulating utilities and overseeing major infrastructure projects give her a practical understanding of the issues shaping America’s energy future.

“I want to take the energy and infrastructure work I’ve done at the commission and bring that to Congress,” she said.

During her time on the PSC, Pridemore has been involved in oversight of major energy developments in Georgia, including new nuclear generation at Plant Vogtle and operations at large facilities such as Plant Bowen. She also points to Georgia’s growing role in global energy markets through liquefied natural gas exports from Elba Island LNG Terminal.

One policy priority she highlights is federal pipeline permitting reform, which she says is essential to expanding energy infrastructure and strengthening American energy independence.

“Our nation desperately needs pipeline permitting reform,” Pridemore said. “We have to make sure American energy can reach markets and allies around the world.”

Pridemore also emphasizes border security and immigration enforcement as key issues, arguing that the federal government must secure the border while restoring a legal immigration system focused on vetting and assimilation.

Though the race includes several candidates, Pridemore believes her experience sets her apart. She previously ran for the same seat in 2014, narrowly missing the runoff in a crowded Republican primary that included Loudermilk and former Congressman Bob Barr.

She believes that experience—combined with her eight years on the Public Service Commission—gives her a strong foundation heading into the primary.

Unlike some of the candidates, Pridemore emphasizes that she both lives and works in the district she hopes to represent.

“I’ve lived here for more than 30 years,” she said. “This district is home. I know the people here, and I want to represent them in Washington.”