Mississippi Rep. Nick Bain concedes to gun shop owner in primary runoff election
Eden Villalovas
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Incumbent Republican Nick Bain has conceded his seat in the Mississippi House to Brad Mattox, a Corinth gun store owner, with the final tally reported eight days after the runoff election.
The three-term legislator fell to his challenger, who is unopposed in the November general election, in House District 2 by only 26 votes, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported on Wednesday.
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On Wednesday evening, Bain wrote, “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.”
He added that, as a father, it was his “intent from the beginning to create a legacy that would make my children proud,” adding it’s “incumbent on me to show them how to say goodbye and respect the fundamental principle of our republic, the peaceful transfer of power.”
Bain began his state House career as a Democrat, winning his seat in 2011 and reelection in 2015 as a member of the blue party by a large margin of nearly 76% of the vote. Bain switched to the Republican Party when he ran for reelection in 2019, citing his conservative voting record on Second Amendment rights and anti-abortion legislation.
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Mattox, who has never held public office, said, “The people were ready for a change, and they got their opportunity.”
Third-place candidate Chris Wilson, who gathered 17% of the vote in August, endorsed Mattox over Bain in the runoff.