HOOVER — Cullman County Sheriff Matt Gentry qualified to run for Place One on the Public Service Commission on Monday afternoon. Gentry was surrounded by family and friends who broke into applause that echoed through the Republican Party of Alabama (ALGOP) building. Gentry launched his campaign in June 2025.
“I've been very blessed from the day I announced my candidacy,” Gentry told 1819 News. “It's been a grassroots campaign. We've been blessed with the FarmPAC endorsement, the Petroleum and Convenience Marketers of Alabama (P&CMA), Forestry, and the outpouring of support has been amazing."
“I look forward to the next few months and seeing citizens across Alabama and seeing what we can do to make things better at the Public Service Commission," Gentry continued.
Gentry highlighted his commitment to transparency, saying he would be accessible and ensure that Alabamians “have a voice.”
“I think in leadership, it should be the public service commission's job to recognize those and be a voice for all citizens, to keep our rates low.”
In response to reports that Alabama residents have the third-highest electric bills in the nation, Gentry expressed his frustration.
“We want to be known for a lot of things in Alabama, but that's not something we want to be known for. I think it takes good leadership to work with the community, to be their voice, to make sure that citizens and our businesses are successful, and to bring a good balance across Alabama for economic stability and growth.”
Last month, the Public Service Commission approved a 2-year rate freeze proposed by Alabama Power.
“The interesting thing for me is that the pause happened five months before an election. It shouldn't take a company to tell the public service commission that that needs to happen. It should be the job of the Public Service Commission, working with companies to say, ‘We've been reviewing, we need to do these things for our citizens.’ They're the ones that are elected to represent them and be their voice.”
Monday was the first day of qualifying for republican candidates. Qualifying closes January 23 at 5 p.m. CST
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