Latest news with #Blackman
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dem candidate for Georgia Public Service Commission challenges disqualification
A Fulton County Superior Court hearing is scheduled for June 10 on Georgia Public Service Commission candidate Daniel Blackman's appealing a ruling disqualifying him from the Democratic Primary of June 17. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder (file) 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. 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. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Georgia PSC candidate will remain on ballot while appealing disqualification
The Brief Georgia Public Service Commission candidate Daniel Blackman will remain on the ballot as he appeals his disqualification. Earlier this week, a judge ruled 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. Blackman's lawyer said Chief Judge Ural Glanville of the Fulton County Superior Court approved a request to keep him on the ballot until the appeal is ruled on. FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - A Democratic candidate running for the Georgia Public Service Commission will remain on the ballot a day after he was disqualified by Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Daniel Blackman appealed the ruling and will remain in the race while the appeal goes through the court system, Blackman's lawyer says. The backstory Earlier this 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 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 said 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 Blackman's lawyer, Matthew Wilson, said Chief Judge Ural Glanville of the Fulton County Superior Court approved a request to keep him on the ballot until the appeal is ruled on. "We are very confident that at the end of this process Daniel will be deemed a qualified candidate for PSC because all of the facts and all of the law are on his side," Wilson said. The Democratic primary is June 17. Early voting is underway now. Dig deeper Three other Democrats are set to run in the primary. Keisha Sean Waites, a former state House member and former Atlanta City Council member, most recently lost a bid to become Fulton County clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts. Peter Hubbard has worked for the Georgia Center for Clean Energy Solutions. Robert Jones has worked on energy for both the government and private companies. The Source Information for this story came from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
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.' 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.' 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.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Daniel Blackman disqualified from Public Service Commission race
The Brief Daniel Blackman has been disqualified from the Public Service Commission District 3 race after a judge ruled he did not meet residency requirements. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed the disqualification ahead of the June 7 special primary election. Blackman was seeking the Democratic nomination but will no longer appear on the ballot following the administrative court's decision. ATLANTA - In a major development in Georgia's Public Service Commission District 3 race, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has announced that Daniel Blackman has been disqualified from appearing on the ballot. What we know Blackman was seeking the Democratic nomination in the June 7 special primary election. However, a state administrative court judge ruled earlier this week that he failed to meet the residency requirements needed to run for the Public Service Commission seat. PREVIOUS STORY: Early voting begins in Georgia Public Service Commission primary elections What they're saying The Secretary of State's office confirmed the disqualification, effectively removing Blackman from contention in the closely watched race. Blackman has 10 days to appeal Raffensperger's decision. What's next Early voting is underway for the special primary election to fill two seats on the commission, which is a 5-member board that regulates utilities in the state.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Disqualified Georgia utility candidate Daniel Blackman appeals and will remain on the ballot for now
ATLANTA (AP) — A day after Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger disqualified Democrat Daniel Blackman from running for the Georgia Public Service Commission, the candidate appealed Thursday and will remain on the ballot for now, his lawyer said. An administrative law judge recommended earlier this week 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. Blackman's lawyer, Matthew Wilson, said Chief Judge Ural Glanville of the Fulton County Superior Court approved a request to keep him on the ballot until the appeal is ruled on. The Democratic primary is June 17. 'We are very confident that at the end of this process Daniel will be deemed a qualified candidate for PSC because all of the facts and all of the law are on his side,' Wilson said. 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 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 said 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. Blackman lost a 2020 race for the commission and was appointed as the southern region administrator for EPA by President Joe Biden. Three other Democrats are set to run in the primary. Keisha Sean Waites, a former state House member and former Atlanta City Council member, most recently lost a bid to become Fulton County clerk of Superior and Magistrate Courts. Peter Hubbard has worked for the Georgia Center for Clean Energy Solutions. Robert Jones has worked on energy for both the government and private companies. ___ Kramon is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon.
