Judge disqualifies Democrat Daniel Blackman from Georgia Public Service Commission primary

ATLANTA (AP) — Votes won’t count for Democrat Daniel Blackman in the June 17 primary election for Georgia Public Service Commission after a judge ruled Tuesday that Blackman hadn’t proved that he had lived in Fulton County for the required year before the general election in November.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville issued an earlier temporary order that kept Blackman on the ballot after Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger had disqualified him. But after a hearing on Tuesday, Glanville ruled from the bench that Raffensperger’s ruling had been correct.

Blackman can appeal, but if he loses, any votes cast for him will not be counted in the District 3 Democratic primary for the utility regulator. Three other Democrats — Peter Hubbard, Robert Jones and Keisha Waites — are also seeking their party’s nomination to oppose Republican Fitz Johnson in November.

In Public Service Commission elections, voters statewide choose each of the five commissioners. But the commissioners themselves must live in particular districts. District 3 includes Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties.

Blackman says he moved from Forsyth County to a southwest Atlanta apartment in October 2024, while his wife and children remained in the northern Atlanta suburb. But Glanville, ruling from the bench, said Blackman didn’t do enough to prove he had truly moved, noting he didn’t transfer his voter registration to Fulton County until April.

“The court is of the opinion that the secretary’s decision did, in fact, properly apply Georgia law,” Glanville said during an online hearing. “The final decision properly considered the petitioners failure to update his voter registration until April of 2025.”

Glanville said he hoped to enter a written order as soon as Wednesday. Blackman could appeal after that. A lawyer for Blackman did not immediately respond to a request for a statement after the hearing.

Signs warning voters that Blackman has been disqualified will be posted in polling places as soon as Glanville makes a written order, said Robert Sinners, a spokesperson for Raffensperger.

Turnout in the election is likely to be very low, but thousands of votes for Blackman could still be discarded. Through Monday, more than 25,000 people had voted in the Democratic primary. Early voting ends Friday, with Election Day on June 17.

Blackman lost a 2020 race for the commission and was appointed by President Joe Biden as southern region administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency.

A Republican primary will also be decided June 17, with Lee Muns of Harlem challenging incumbent Commissioner Tim Echols of Hoschton. Echols has been on the Public Service Commission since 2011. The winner will face Democrat Alicia Johnson in November.

All five commissioners are currently Republicans.