Removed Georgia PSC candidate will appeal. Opponent criticizes disqualification
Daniel Blackman’s third run for the Georgia Public Service Commission may be over quickly after he was declared ineligible to run Thursday, a removal that one of his opponents responded to by saying “democracy is diminished.”
Blackman released a lengthy statement Thursday saying he’d challenge the removal from the race, after Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed Blackman was ineligible to run. Raffensperger, agreeing with an administrative law judge, said Blackman didn’t provide enough proof that he had resided in District 3 long enough to run.
Blackman, a former Environmental Protection Agency administrator and a clean energy advocate, publicly announced he is appealing Raffensperger’s decision and is trying to stay in the race.
“My team is appealing the decision, and I will remain fully committed to the fight for energy justice and public accountability in Georgia,” Blackman said in his statement. “The fact that a decision to remove me was made during early voting only underscores what many of us already know: this race matters.”
The PSC regulates utility and power company decisions, and long-term plans that include energy sources and cost to rate payers.
Georgia Conservation Voters, a nonprofit that aims to protect Georgia’s air, water and land through political action, endorsed Blackman. They said Thursday they will not make another endorsement despite the secretary of state’s ruling.
“GCV is disappointed to share that our endorsed candidate, Daniel Blackman, has been officially disqualified from the race for Georgia’s Public Service Commission District 3 due to residency requirements,” Paul Glaze, GCV media specialist, said in an email. “At this time, GCV does not plan to endorse another candidate for District 3 in the June 17th primary.”
Peter Hubbard, one of Blackman’s opponents and an energy expert who has intervened on power plans that have been presented to the PSC in the past, told the Ledger-Enquirer he believes Blackman is more qualified than Republican incumbent Commissioner Fitz Johnson, who Blackman and Hubbard are trying to unseat.
”Mr. Blackman was disqualified from running for the only Constitutional office where there is a statewide election but the candidate must reside for 1 year in a crowded district,” Hubbard said. “This is why the Democratic primary is so lopsided with candidates — it is by design. Ultimately, democracy is diminished with Mr. Blackman’s removal from the PSC election.”
Blackman changed his voter registration to Fulton County, which is in District 3 on April 3, the last day that candidates could qualify for the race. Blackman registered to vote in the November 2024 election from an address in Forsyth County, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The current approach to electing PSC members has come under challenge before.
The 2022 Rose v Raffensperger case challenged Georgia’s method of electing members to the Public Service Commission, claiming the districts were set up to “dilute” Black votes. The case was reversed by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in November 2023, so the methodology has not changed.
When asked why the Secretary of State’s office didn’t catch this issue back in April during qualifications, Mike Hassinger, a public information officer for the office, told the Ledger-Enquirer that’s not what the agency does.
“We don’t do that; that isn’t the role of the Secretary of State,” he said. “We can’t proactively thumb up or thumb down a candidate. (The qualification) is about a party process.”
What happens next?
Blackman’s team will appeal in Fulton County Superior Court.
Robert Baker, public service commissioner between 1993 and 2010 and a lawyer, explained the process to the Ledger-Enquirer via email.
“An appeal of the Secretary of State’s decision would go to the Fulton County Superior Court, which has jurisdiction over state agency decisions,” he said. “I don’t know if the Superior Court will expedite the appeal, but if Blackman loses at the Fulton County Superior Court then he can appeal that decision to the Georgia Court of Appeals unless the Georgia Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction.”
Hassinger isn’t sure Blackman has time before June 17, primary Election Day, to get back on the ballot.
“I don’t know if Mr. Blackman can be heard in time for him to be on the ballot but stranger things have happened,” he said.
Blackman said his name is still on the ballot statewide and “people can still vote for me.” Raffensperger’s office advised board of elections to put up a sign that he’s been disqualified.
“We’re actively seeking an injunction to get those signs taken down while we wait on a judge to review all of the details, testimony and evidence provided,” he emailed the Ledger-Enquirer. “Voters should still vote and support the candidate that they know can win in November.”
He released a video on Facebook detailing his next steps, Thursday afternoon.
Public Service Commission candidate Keisha Waites, who is running against the others in the Democratic field, did not respond to a request for comment.
The third candidate who faces Hubbard and Waites, Robert Jones, said the decision by Raffensperger does not “alter the focus” of his campaign.
“My campaign has always been about me offering my extensive experience and expertise in utility operation, regulation and data center management to serve the interests of all citizens of Georgia wherever they reside across our State,” his communications director, Michael Ares said in an email.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 3:55 PM.
