Mississippi House Rep. Nick Bain, the Republican who authored Mississippi’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors this year and faced criticisms for his 2020 vote to change the state flag, has conceded after gun store owner Brad Mattox defeated him in the Republican primary for House District 2 in Alcorn County by just 26 votes.
The incumbent said in a statement this evening that he decided to concede following the filing of the final results from the Aug. 29 GOP primary runoff.
“I will not be returning to the Capitol for the next Legislative session,” said Bain, who is currently the chair of the powerful Judiciary B committee. “While these results are not what I wanted, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to serve the people of District two for 12 years. It was my intent from the beginning to create a legacy that would make my children proud, that would offer all Mississippians an opportunity to rise to the opportunities of the 21st century, and, as it is said, to leave the campground cleaner than I found it.”
He added that, as a father, it is “incumbent on me to show them how to say goodbye and respect the fundamental principle of our republic, the peaceful transfer of power.” Because Democrats did not field a candidate in District 2, Mattox will have no opponent in the November general election and will become the district’s next representative in January.
The incumbent’s defeat came after he faced criticism from some Republicans for his 2020 vote to retire the State’s old 1894 Confederate-themed state flag that the racist leaders of the past selected as part of their efforts to enshrine white supremacy following the end of Reconstruction.
With no Democratic opponent in the November 2023 general election, gun store owner Brad Mattox will be the new Mississippi House District 2 representative in January 2024. Photo courtesy Mattox campaign
The Daily Journal’s Gideon Hess reported in late August that third-place finisher Chris Wilson, whose main problem with Bain was his flag vote, teamed up with Mattox to support him after
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