Feb. 9—JACKSON — Public voting records and property tax documents show that a Republican candidate for the Northern District seat on the Public Service Commission may not meet the statutory residency requirements to run for the office.

Mandy Gunasekara has filed paperwork to seek one of three utility regulator posts in the state after serving in numerous high profile capacities in Washington, including a stint as chief of staff of the Environmental Protection Agency in President Donald Trump's administration.

Candidates running for the PSC must live in the district they are seeking to represent and have additionally lived in the state at least five years before the date of the election, according to a qualifying guide published by the Secretary of State.

This guide cities Mississippi law and the state constitution, which requires that a candidate for the Public Service Commission be "a citizen of the state five years next preceding the day of his election."

The Daily Journal, through a public records request, obtained Gunasekara's voting records from the District of Columbia, which show she last voted there on Nov. 6, 2018. Mississippi's general election this year will occur on Nov. 7, 2023.

After she cast a ballot in D.C. in November 2018, Gunasekara registered to vote in her hometown of Decatur in January 2019, according to her voter record, which was obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State's office through a public records request. That record shows that she has voted in state elections since then. The record also confirms that she currently lives in Oxford, where she registered to vote in July 2021.

But property records with the District of Columbia's office of tax and revenue also show that Gunasekara and her husband received a homestead deduction on property taxes there in 2021, just two years ago.

To receive a homestead dedication, a property must be occupied by the owner and must be the principal residence of the owner, according to the office's website.

In a statement to the Daily Journal, Gunasekara said that she consulted with Mississippi election law experts prior to filing paperwork for the race to ensure she meets the residency requirements.

"We began our transition back to Mississippi as our permanent home well before the relevant time period," Gunasekara said.

She faces two opponents in the Republican primary: city of Tupelo official Tanner Newman and state Rep. Chris Brown of Nettleton.

State law allows for someone to file a residency challenge petition with the executive committee of political party conducting the primary, in this case the Mississippi Republican Party.

Brown told the Daily Journal it was "shocking and interesting" to learn about Gunasekara's voting and property tax records, and he is looking forward to seeing if the state GOP executive committee will take any action.

Newman said in a statement that he will not file a residency challenge.

"[Neither] I nor my campaign are filing a challenge. We are focused on sharing our message and earning the votes of the people of North Mississippi," Newman said. "The people of North Mississippi deserve a commissioner who understands their needs and how to connect them quickly with the resources available. As a native of North Mississippi, that's exactly what I'll do."

Republican Southern District Public Service Commissioner Dane Maxwell filed a residency challenge with the state GOP in 2019, arguing that one of his primary opponents, Perry Parker, did not meet the statutory residency requirements.

The GOP ultimately voted to remove Parker from the Republican ballot and sided with Maxwell. Maxwell cited voting history and homestead exemption records in his challenge to Parker's eligibility, the same records that could be at issue if any challenge is brought over Gunasekara's eligibility.

taylor.vance@djournal.com