An administrative law judge on Tuesday recommended that Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger disqualify Daniel Blackman from running for a metro Atlanta district seat on the Public Service Commission.
The ruling was the result of a candidacy challenge filed with the secretary of state’s office alleging Blackman has not lived in District 3 — which represents Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties — long enough to qualify for the race.
PSC members are elected statewide, but they must reside in one of five geographic districts. Candidates must live in their district for at least 12 months before they are eligible to run in that jurisdiction.
Administrative Law Judge Dominic Capraro wrote in his ruling that Blackman, a former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator, did not provide enough evidence to show he met that requirement.
“He (Blackman) remained registered to vote in Forsyth County until April 2025, and cast his vote there in the 2024 election,” Capraro wrote.
Voting history data from the secretary of state‘s office shows Blackman voted in Forsyth County on Nov. 5, one month after Blackman said he moved to Fulton. Blackman changed his voter registration address to a Midtown Atlanta apartment in April, the last day to qualify for the race.
Blackman ran for the District 4 PSC seat in 2020, narrowly losing to incumbent Republican Lauren “Bubba” McDonald in a runoff election.
The judge’s decision is only a recommendation. Raffensperger, a Republican, has the final say about whether Blackman is qualified to run in the race.
Blackman said in a statement that he respects the Capraro’s decision, but he is reviewing all legal options.
“I trust Secretary Raffensperger will review the facts and the law and uphold my qualification to serve,” he said.
The ruling comes as early voting for the June 17 Democratic primaries is underway. If Raffensperger upholds the decision, voters will choose from three Democrats vying for the party nomination, including Peter Hubbard, Robert Jones and Keisha Sean Waites, a former Atlanta City Council member and former state representative.
Blackman’s residency was challenged by Atlanta resident Rodney Stephens, who has an apparent connection with Waites. In 2022, Stephens bought a house from Waites.
Whichever Democrat wins the party nomination will run against Republican incumbent Fitz Johnson in November.
The commission is a five-member board that decides what rates utilities can charge consumers and businesses. PSC elections have been delayed for five years while a court battle over how members are elected made its way through the courts.
Last year, a state law was passed during that legal fight that extended the six-year terms of existing commissioners and set a new election schedule. But that law is also being challenged in federal court.
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