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Mandy Gunasekara
Mandy Gunasekara (Republican Party) ran for election to the Mississippi Public Service Commission to represent Northern District. She was disqualified from the Republican primary scheduled on August 8, 2023.
Biography
Mandy Gunasekara lives in Oxford, Mississippi. Gunasekara earned a B.A. from Mississippi College and a J.D. from the University of Mississippi. Her career experience includes working as the chief of staff of the Environmental Protection Agency with the Donald Trump presidential administration, an energy strategist, and an environmental attorney.[1]
Elections
2023
See also: Mississippi Public Service Commission election, 2023
General election
General election for Mississippi Public Service Commission Northern District
Chris Brown won election in the general election for Mississippi Public Service Commission Northern District on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chris Brown (R) | 100.0 | 215,257 |
| Total votes: 215,257 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Mississippi Public Service Commission Northern District
Chris Brown defeated Tanner Newman in the Republican primary for Mississippi Public Service Commission Northern District on August 8, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Brown | 61.3 | 78,272 |
 | Tanner Newman | 38.7 | 49,472 | |
| Total votes: 127,744 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mandy Gunasekara (R)
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Mandy Gunasekara did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Gunasekara's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
AMERICA FIRST ENERGY The Biden administration and Democrats in Mississippi are pushing an extreme environmental agenda that seeks to transform the American economy by eliminating fossil fuels and leaving us entirely dependent on unreliable, renewable energy sources. The result is skyrocketing energy costs, power disruptions, and fewer jobs. Instead of focusing exclusively on renewable energy sources, which would put our electricity grid at risk, Mississippi should focus on reliable American energy that will keep electricity prices low and access stable.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a stranglehold on the U.S. solar supply chain. The PSC’s recent net metering rule will continue to subsidize CCP-controlled companies at the expense of Mississippi energy consumers. I will work to repeal any PSC rules that enrich the CCP, while forcing Mississippians to pay high electricity costs and reducing reliable access.
Biomass is carbon-neutral electricity generated from renewable material such as tree limbs, small trees, and wood waste like sawdust and bark. Globally, electricity generated from biomass is the largest source of renewable power and one of the few renewable baseload power sources. Unfortunately, unelected bureaucrats have been dragging their feet for over a decade in classifying biomass as emissions neutral. As a result, U.S. biomass products are shipped to Europe while America becomes more dependent on unreliable Chinese solar and wind power. Mississippi is blessed with an abundance of working forests and biomass production facilities. As Public Service Commissioner, I will fight to ensure equitable policy treatment of Mississippi’s homegrown renewables.
Grid management is difficult in part because consumer use (i.e. demand) can fluctuate based on the time of day. It is especially challenging when sources like wind and solar that only work when the wind blows or the sun shines are added to the grid. Numerous technologies have been developed to address this supply/demand imbalance, including the integration of Bitcoin mining. Bitcoin mining reduces the burden of unreliable energy sources like wind and solar by providing flexible demand that can be turned on and off almost immediately. I will work to encourage the use of helpful innovations like Bitcoin mining that can create value for ratepayers and improve grid stability.
Telecom companies like AT&T can’t cut off your cell phone because they disagree with your political stance, but social media companies like Twitter, TikTok or YouTube can. The reality is that giant social media companies function as common carriers and are central public forums for public debate. Access to free speech must be available to anyone, regardless of political affiliation. I will work with the state legislature to regulate social media companies, under the jurisdiction of the PSC, as common carriers to protect the free exchange of ideas and information in Mississippi.
Several states have enacted laws which discriminate against end users of energy. Democrats have pushed this as a means to undermine our Second Amendment Rights. As an NRA Life Member, I will work to ensure utilities in Mississippi cannot discriminate against any end-users, especially gun manufacturers and lawful gun owners.[2] |
” |
| —Mandy Gunasekara's campaign website (2023)[3] | ||
See also
2023 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Mississippi Public Service Commission Northern District |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Mandy for Mississippi, "About," accessed March 4, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Mandy for Mississippi, “Issues Archive,” accessed March 4, 2023
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