John Mason

John Mason was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He earned a bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University, a J.D. from the Loyola College of Law, and a Ph.D. from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Mason's career experience includes working as an attorney and a university professor.[1]

John Mason did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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Campaign websiteMason's campaign website stated the following:IssuesThe most important issue in this race is the price of energy! For most Louisiana residents their highest monthly expenses are housing, insurance, groceries, and ENERGY.Louisiana is in the top 10 for energy spending. A recent study shows we spend about 14.02% of our annual income on utilities. That's about $7,141 out of an average salary of $50,940. Can we actually decrease our energy bills?Big John thinks we can.Why can we only buy electricity from one company?Louisiana law requires a regulatory monopoly system. That means that the average consumer must buy from an assigned company. Many customers must buy from Entergy and CLECO, but there are other electricity providers.The customer can't negotiate for a lower rate because the providers all charge the rate set for them by the Public Service Commission.As a result, consumers like you have to buy from the company you're told to buy from, and you have to pay the price you're told to pay.Seems like monopolies are great, if you're the monopolist. They're not so great if you're the consumer.What can we do about this? Keep reading the issues summaries to find out.Does Louisiana use energy like other states?We do not. is an industry heavy state. We are one of only five states where business and industry spend more than the residents on electricity. We have large oil refineries and chemical plants that use a LOT of energy.There are two dirty little secrets that most people don't know:Industry is subject to the monopoly, too. Just like us, they buy from who they're told the buy from, and they pay the price they're told to pay.Industry could generate their own electricity for less then the price they're forced to pay.That means that businesses are overpaying for electricity, and they past the higher costs on to you and me in the form of higher prices.Cell Phone AnalogyOkay, this might seem to be out of place, but bear with me.There are smaller cell phone companies that don't have networks of their own. The have access to the larger carriers' networks by law. That means they can charge you a little less by charging you, then buying network access from one of the large carriers.What does this have to do with the price of electricity?Read the next issue and I'll tie this issue and the last issue together.Competition Part 1 - a plan to lower your rates!The Louisiana Public Service Commission has the power to break the regulatory monopoly. That means you could buy electricity from any company you chose to buy from.But who's going to produce it, and how are they going to transmit it to you?We've already talked about how Louisiana's major refineries and plants can produce their own electricity for less cost then buying it from one of the monopoly companies like Entergy. They would certainly generate their own electricity if it meant saving money.If the Public Service Commission decided to end the monopoly in exchange for these industries producing a little extra, they would most likely do so. What would they do with this excess electricity that they're generating?THEY COULD SELL IT TO YOU!But how can they get it to you? Take a look at the next issue.Competition Part 2 - A plan to lower your ratesAt this point the monopoly companies are pretty angry. They've lost a lot of business because their monopoly as been busted. Can they recoup any of this loss?Well, they still own and control the electricity grid used to transmit the energy to (and from) businesses and residences. If you've read the issue about the cell phone networks, you've probably already guess the answer.If industry could pay to use the energy grid to transmit the electricity they're transmitting to you, then the former monopolies could make extra money that way.This would require a law change, and therefore the legislature would have to cooperate with the Public Service Commission to make this happen.The bottom line is that COMPETITION LOWERS PRICES! You'd have a choice of who to buy electricity from, just like you have a choice of what cell phone company you use, or where you buy gasoline.This plan could seriously reduce your monthly energy bill.— John Mason's campaign website (May 12, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a conservative republican attorney that wants to deregulate the regulated monopolies to maximize consumer choice and minimize consumer costs. I am strongly in favor of bringing high-speed internet to all Louisiana residents, not just those that live near an urban area. I want to work with the Louisiana legislature to advance the goal of 100% internet access and bring broadband under the Public Service Commission's umbrella.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

You should have the right to choose which company you buy electricity and gas from. You should not be told by the government who you must buy from. Competition increases choices and lowers prices.All Louisianans should have the option to buy high-speed internet. Between 25% - 30% of all Louisiana residents have no access to the internet. Others have only slow-speed connections that are not sufficient for their children's online classes or working remotely.Louisiana needs to work with her neighboring sister states to ensure that each state has the maximum number of service providers to promote competition.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

It's been twenty years since Louisiana considered deregulation. None of the current commissioners have broached the subject in the last two decades. Several Louisiana businesses want to purchase power on the open market, or even generate their own electricity. I am in favor of letting utilities compete for our business should increase choice and decrease costs.

I'm also passionate about giving every Louisiana family and business access to high-speed internet. The federal government used to regulate the internet as a utility, although they no longer do so. The Louisiana constitution requires all utilities to be under the oversight of the Public Service Commission. I intend to work with the Louisiana legislature to increase broadband access to all Louisiana citizens and businesses and bring the internet service providers under the umbrella of the PSC to ensure that consumer complaints do not fall on deaf ears.

I am 100% pro-consumer, regardless of whether that consumer is a single-home user of a large industrial user.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

It regulates electricity, gas, wastewater, intrastate moves, intrastate pipelines, common carriers, nonconsensual towing, and more. Other states Public Service Commissions tend to regulate only utilities, whereas the Louisiana PSC regulates things that seem otherwise unrelated.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, and transparency. This particular district has been plagued by allegations of scandal, the appearance of impropriety, and uncivil and unprofessional behavior. This needs to stop.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, integrity, transparency, and intelligence.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Ensuring that rates are kept low for both residential and business consumers while ensuring that the regulated company is also treated fairly and can continue to grow.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

They fix (i.e. determine) the price of nonconsensual towing. The sheer number of regulated entities is much larger than people realize.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, anyone intelligent enough to understand the basic concepts and a genuine desire to perform the responsibilities of the office will do well.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I believe being an attorney would help the commissioner understand the often complex laws and regulations that the PSC operates under as well as enforces over regulated companies.

A business background to understand the economic realities and strategies of the regulated entities would also be beneficial.

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John Mason did not complete the candidate survey.