Voters in Louisiana have moved Rep. Stefanie Hilferty one step closer to being the new District 1 public service commissioner. Hilferty led the Republican vote with 61%, while former Jefferson Parish President John Young had 38%.

Hilferty and Young both advanced to a runoff after neither secured a clear majority in the May 15 primary election. 

Hilferty campaigned on a promise to “serve as a watchdog for ratepayers.” Her 10-point plan outlined challenging rate increases, investing in sustainable infrastructure, cracking down on billing errors, and demanding faster responses to outages. She will now sit on a five-member board that regulates public utilities.

Hilferty will now face Democrat Connie Norris and no-party candidate Chris Justin in the November election. 

About 53,000 people cast a ballot in the race.