One House incumbent loses in Tuesday runoffs, another still trails

One incumbent state House member was defeated in Tuesday’s party primary election and another, veteran Rep. Nick Bain of Corinth, appears dangerously close to losing.

Runoff elections were held Tuesday for various county posts throughout the state, including for six state House seats. Runoff elections were required in contests where no candidate garnered a majority vote in the Aug. 8 first primary.

RESULTS: Mississippi primary runoff election 2023

In House District 2, which encompasses much of Alcorn County in northeast Mississippi, Bain, who served the past four legislative sessions as Judiciary B chair, was trailing Brad Mattox 2,351 votes to 2,329 votes.

The only votes left to be counted are mail-in ballots and votes cast by people who voted without a government-issued photo identification. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by election day, but can be delivered via mail up to five days after the election. And people who voted without an ID have five days to return to the clerk’s office with an ID and have their vote counted.

“I do not intend to concede, and we will have a team of lawyers looking at the process next week,” Bain told Mississippi Today.

The constitution gives state House members the ultimate authority to decide who to seat in the chamber. The loser of the election could file an election challenge with the House that would be decided during the upcoming 2024 session.

Also on Tuesday, first-term incumbent Dale Goodin, R-Richton, lost his runoff to Elliott Burch 3,167 votes to 1,047.

Burch will face Democrat Matthew Daves in the November general election in House District 105 located in southeast Mississippi.

In Jackson District 66 in a Democratic runoff, Fabian Nelson defeated Roshunda Harris-Allen 1,296 votes to 582 in incomplete returns.

Annise Parker, chief executive officer of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, said Nelson will be the first openly LGBTQ+ member elected to the Mississippi Legislature. Nelson will not face a challenge in the November general election.

“Representation matters – especially in Mississippi, which is one of the last two states to achieve the milestone of electing an out LGBTQ+ lawmakers,” Parker said. “Voters in Mississippi should be proud of the history they’ve made, but also proud to know they’ll be well represented by Fabian. Fabian’s victory is a testament to his dedication to his community and the thoughtful diligent work he put into winning this campaign.”

There were two other party runoff primaries in races centered in Jackson.

In a Democratic runoff in District 72, Justis Gibbs, the son of the former incumbent in the district Debra Gibbs, defeated Rukia Lumumba, the sister of Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. Gibbs won the contest 1,558 votes to 982 in incomplete returns.

And in the Democratic runoff in Jackson House District 69, Tamarra Butler-Washington defeated Patty Patterson by 909 votes to 524 votes.

On the Gulf Coast in District 115, Republican Zachary Grady defeated Felix Gines 718 votes to 445 votes in incomplete returns.

The only House winner from Tuesday who will face opposition in November is Burch in District 105.

READ MORE: Six House runoff elections slated for Tuesday, including for two incumbents

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by Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Today August 30, 2023

Bobby Harrison, Mississippi Today’s senior capitol reporter, covers politics, government and the Mississippi State Legislature. He also writes a weekly news analysis which is co-published in newspapers statewide. A native of Laurel, Bobby joined our team June 2018 after working for the North Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo since 1984. He is president of the Mississippi Capitol Press Corps Association and works with the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute to organize press luncheons. Bobby has a bachelor's in American Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi and has received multiple awards from the Mississippi Press Association, including the Bill Minor Best Investigative/In-depth Reporting and Best Commentary Column.