John Northrop

John Northrop

Democratic Party

Candidate, Alabama Public Service Commission Place 1

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

High school

Andalusia High School

Bachelor's

Birmingham-Southern College, 1972

Graduate

Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1994

Personal

Birthplace

Andalusia, Ala.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Retired

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Facebook

John Northrop (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Alabama Public Service Commission to represent Place 1. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Northrop completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

John Northrop was born in Andalusia, Alabama. He earned a high school diploma from Andalusia High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Birmingham-Southern College in 1972. He earned a graduate degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1994.

Elections

2026

See also: Alabama Public Service Commission election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Alabama Public Service Commission Place 1

John Northrop and Matt Gentry are running in the general election for Alabama Public Service Commission Place 1 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		John Northrop (D)
	Submit photo	Matt Gentry (R)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Northrop completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Northrop's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Community activist, retired educator, former journalist. Husband, father. Photographer. Citizen.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• FAIR RATES: We all need dependable, affordable utilities. At the same time, utility stockholders are due sensible returns. Striking an effective balance requires open ears, open minds, solid analysis, and good judgment.
• SMART ENERGY: Smart energy means reliability, redundancy, interoperability, and greater use of sustainable, low-carbon energy resources. We need to adapt our energy systems to encourage and align with sustainable sources in Alabama and beyond. One vital concern: We need to ensure an up-to-date electrical grid in step with national grid improvements.
• OPEN GOVERNMENT: The people of Alabama deserve open, transparent PSC processes and decision-making. Open government ensures accountability, both by the PSC and its regulated utilities. But beyond that, truly open government invites collaborative problem-solving. It builds public understanding, confidence, and support when change is necessary. Above all else, I pledge to insist on PSC openness to the full extent permitted by law.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Building consensus for the most rapid transition possible from carbon fuels to more sustainable energy use.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

So many: Jimmy Carter, Carl Sagan, E. O. Wilson (from Alabama), Eleanor Roosevelt, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Bill McKibben, Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, Jackie Robinson, Pete Seeger, etc.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity and honest, heartfelt commitment to the public good.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Providing independent oversight of Alabama's public utilities.

What legacy would you like to leave?

A more wholesome, sustainable energy system in Alabama.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Launch of Sputnik. I was about 10.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

For two summers during high school, serving as recreation leader for elementary children.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Experience in building consensus goals and strategies.

Would a state ballot initiative process be good or bad for your state?

Good.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Two sons who are honest, decent people.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

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Government

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External links

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Candidate

Alabama Public Service Commission Place 1

Website

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Footnotes

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