Judge disqualifies Daniel Blackman from Georgia PSC primary election

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A judge has ruled all votes cast for one of the Democratic candidates running in the June 17 primary election for Georgia Public Service Commission will not count.

After a hearing on Tuesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville said that Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's disqualification of Daniel Blackman was the correct move.

The backstory:

Last week, an administrative law judge recommended 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.

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 earlier 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 argued in his appeal that 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.

What they're saying:

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. 

What's next:

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.

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.

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.

Early voting ends Friday, with Election Day on June 17.