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Bain steps down after decades of service on Athens city council

For the first election in decades, Democratic voters won’t see the name Nancy Bain when they visit the ballot box today.

Bain, who was first elected in 1985, announced earlier this year she is not seeking re-election to the Athens City Council D-3rd Ward seat in order to devote more time to her family.

“She first got elected in 1874,” joked current Council President Bill Bias, who is also the head of the Athens Democratic Party, in a previous interview.

“She has just a phenomenal institutional memory,” he added.

Elected four years before Rex Scott, the first Ohio University student ever elected to council, Bain has served with all five students who have held council seats.

“Nancy is one of the smartest people I’ve ever seen in public service,” said Scott, who served on council from 1987-1991.

"This is truly the end of an era,” he said.

Amy Flowers, the fourth student to be elected to council when she won an At-Large seat in 2005, said Bain helped guide her during her first few months on council.

“I love Nancy Bain,” Flowers said. “She’s been on council for as long as I’ve been alive.”

After announcing she would not run, Bain publicly endorsed Michele Papai, the sole candidate to succeed her as the 3rd Ward council member.

Papai, a 18-year Athens resident, is a member of the Athens City Board of Zoning Appeals.

“I’m honored to have this opportunity and that Nancy feels strongly about giving me an endorsement,” Papai said in a previous interview.

“I am my own person, but she has a lot of institutional knowledge and I’ll be asking her for some info along the way,” she added.

Make sure to check The Post online throughout the day for Primary Election updates.

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