Former Public Service Commissioner Lauren "Bubba" McDonald Jr. of Clarkesville said Friday that he is exploring the possibility of a bid to regain his seat on the PSC.

Angela Speir, who defeated McDonald by a razor-thin margin during the 2002 race, announced Thursday that she would not seek a second six-year term on the commission.

McDonald was appointed to the PSC by then-Gov. Zell Miller in 1998 and was elected in a nonpartisan race to fill the remainder of the term of PSC member Mac Barber of Commerce.

McDonald then ran on the Democratic ticket in 2002 and was defeated by Speir, who had campaigned little and had no name recognition. Her margin of victory was 7,168 votes out of 1.9 million ballots cast.

Two years later, McDonald made an unsuccessful comeback try in Forsyth County as he challenged incumbent Sen. Bill Stephens, R-Canton, in the Republican primary. Two years later, Stephens lost the Republican bid for secretary of state.

"I’m not saying no to anything," said McDonald, who said he planned to ponder the decision over the next 48 hours.

He said any thoughts of the race on Friday was out of the question as his wife, Sunny, was undergoing outpatient surgery.

McDonald said any race for the PSC would be on the GOP ticket.

McDonald served 20 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, including eight years as chairman of the Appropriations committee.