All new Public Service Commissioners sworn in

The three-man Public Service Commission begins the new four-year term with all new commissioners for the first time in nearly 70 years.

On Thursday, three new Public Service Commissioners were sworn in at the Mississippi Capitol. The Northern, Central, and Southern Districts will each be represented by first-term officials for the first time since 1956.

The incoming PSC Commissioners are:

• Chris Brown, Northern District (R)
• DeKeither Stamps, Central District (D)
• Wayne Carr, Southern District (R)  

Chris Brown, a former Republican member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, replaced four-term Democrat Brandon Presley. Presley chose not to seek re-election and instead ran unsuccessfully for Governor against incumbent Tate Reeves (R) in 2023. Brown won the seat in the GOP Primary since no Democratic candidate was on the ticket in the General Election.

“My first priority is the Holly Springs Utility District. We had some hearings over the summer to try to ascertain what some of the problems are and work with TVA and others in the area to come up with some solutions,” said Commissioner Brown.

Central District Commissioner Stamps unseated first-term Commissioner Brent Bailey (R) in rematch of the election four years ago. Stamps previously served as a Jackson City Councilman and a Democratic member of the House of Representatives. He beat Bailey by roughly 6,000 votes in the 2023 General Election.

“I congratulate my fellow commissioners and look forward to working together to continue to make Mississippi a great place to do business,” said Commissioner Stamps. “For years and years, I have been a man on a mission in our state and today is one of the greatest honors that I could have never achieved without the support of my family, friends and the voters of the Central District. I’m excited to get to work and I am committed to work tirelessly to ensure quality services are provided to the citizens of Mississippi.”

As for the Southern District, Commissioner Carr beat another first-term Commissioner, Dane Maxwell. Carr is new to the political world, coming from a background as a contractor. The race was decided in the GOP Primary, with both Carr and Maxwell running as Republicans and Carr coming out on top. He did not face a Democratic opponent in November.

“It’s a very exciting time today for our state,” said Commissioner Carr. “I look forward to putting all of my skill level to work for the state and work with the other commissioners. We each bring a unique set of skills to the commission.”

The PSC is responsible for regulating telecommunications, electric, gas, water and sewer utilities across the state. The agency oversees rates for service to ensure they are reasonable and that services rendered are adequate. In the event new facilities are required to serve the public, the commission oversees their approval and construction.

Magnolia Tribune spoke with all three new Commissioners in an in-depth interview published in December 2023. Learn more about their priorities here.