(
Georgia Recorder
) — A Georgia Public Service Commission candidate will remain on the Democratic primary ballot after appealing a decision this week disqualifying him from the race for failing to meet residency requirements.
A Fulton County Superior Court hearing is scheduled for June 10 when Chief Judge Ural Glanville will hear arguments on PSC candidate Daniel Blackman’s appeal. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger had affirmed a state court judge’s ruling that Blackman was unable to provide evidence that a Fulton County property is his primary domicile.
Blackman is a candidate for District 3, which includes Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton counties. Commissioners are elected statewide but must be residents of a given district for at least 12 months.
Blackman served as the Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast regional administrator under the Biden administration, and he’s a former PSC candidate who came close to winning a seat on the commission back in 2020.
Blackman’s lawyer, Matthew Wilson, said Blackman’s name will remain on ballots after Glanville granted an injunction Thursday.
“Once we’re given the opportunity for a fair hearing, I’m confident that Daniel will prevail because all of the facts and all of the law are on his side,” Wilson said Friday.
Blackman said Friday that he appreciates the legal process allowing him to defend his eligibility as a candidate.
“This appeal will allow us to have an opportunity to present information that we believe makes the case for us remaining in this race and on the ballot,” Blackman said.
The complaint against Blackman was filed by Atlanta resident Rodney Stephens, who currently resides in a home previously owned by another Democratic candidate, Keisha Waites, according to online county property records.
Stephens and Waites declined to comment about the residency challenge.
The residency dispute involves a one-bedroom dwelling in Atlanta that Blackman leased on Oct. 4, 2024. Blackman testified that he purchased the property to live closer to work while his wife and children continued to reside in their Forsyth County home north of Atlanta, according to the 12-page
ruling
.
The state court judge wrote that
Blackman failed to provide evidence
that he actually lived in the home, such as utility bills or mail being delivered to the Atlanta address.
Early voting for two PSC seats began Tuesday with Blackman’s name on ballots statewide. If Blackman’s ban is permanent, notices will be placed in polling places advising voters of his disqualification and votes cast for him will not be counted, Raffensperger’s office said. Election Day is June 17.
Three other Democrats appear on the District 3 PSC ballot: Waites, a former Atlanta City Council member and ex-state representative; Peter Hubbard, founder of the clean nonprofit Center for Energy Solutions, and Robert Jones, a former utility executive. The winner will face GOP incumbent Fitz Johnson in the Nov. 4 general election. Johnson was appointed to the seat by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2021.
Jones said Friday he would like to see an expedited final decision in the Blackman case so candidates can focus solely on their own campaigns without having to deal with the distraction.
“The appeal filed Wednesday was another surprise in a race that has had too many,” Jones said.
