Disqualified Georgia utility candidate Daniel Blackman appeals and will remain on the ballot for now
May 29, 2025, 3:21 PM
ATLANTA (AP) — A day after Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger disqualified Democrat Daniel Blackman from running for the Georgia Public Service Commission, the candidate appealed Thursday and will remain on the ballot for now, his lawyer said.
An administrative law judge recommended earlier this week Raffensperger disqualify Blackman, a former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator, from the District 3 seat because he did not show he lived there long enough.
Blackman’s lawyer, Matthew Wilson, said Chief Judge Ural Glanville of the Fulton County Superior Court approved a request to keep him on the ballot until the appeal is ruled on. The Democratic primary is June 17.
“We are very confident that at the end of this process Daniel will be deemed a qualified candidate for PSC because all of the facts and all of the law are on his side,” Wilson said.
Voters statewide elect commission members, but they must live in one of five districts for at least 12 months before an election. District 3 includes the core metro Atlanta counties of Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton. All five commissioners are currently Republicans.
Administrative Court Judge Dominic Capraro said in his ruling Blackman didn’t prove he met the qualifications to run in part because he moved to Fulton County in October but voted in Forsyth County on Nov. 5. He switched his registration to his Fulton County address in April, right before signing up to run for the District 3 seat.
Blackman said he moved to Fulton County for work in October while his wife and kids temporarily remained in Forsyth County where they could finish the school year. After that, they plan to live together in Fulton County. Blackman said he waited to register to vote at his new address in order to comply with Georgia’s rules that require address changes to be registered at least 30 days before an election.
Blackman lost a 2020 race for the commission and was appointed as the southern region administrator for EPA by President Joe Biden.
Three other Democrats are set to run in the primary. Keisha Sean Waites, a former state House member and former Atlanta City Council member, most recently lost a bid to become Fulton County clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts. Peter Hubbard has worked for the Georgia Center for Clean Energy Solutions. Robert Jones has worked on energy for both the government and private companies.
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Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
