Republican Chris McDaniel on Wednesday dropped his primary challenge against Sen. Roger Wicker in Mississippi, announcing he would run in the special election to replace Sen. Thad Cochran, who plans to resign at month’s end because he is in poor health.
McDaniel concluded that running in the special was an easier path to the Senate than trying to unseat Wicker, who has the support of President Trump and the GOP establishment. But he could face a task just as daunting if Republican Gov. Phil Bryant appoints a consensus conservative to succeed Cochran who also runs in the special.
McDaniel, who nearly knocked off Cochran in 2014 in a primary, is hoping to coalesce voter support by jumping in before Bryant makes the appointment.
“By announcing early, we are asking Mississippi Republicans to unite around my candidacy and avoid another contentious contest among GOP members that would only improve the Democrats’ chances of winning the open seat,” McDaniel said in a statement issued by his campaign. “If we unite the party now and consolidate our resources, we can guarantee Donald Trump will have a fighter who will stand with him.”
McDaniel came out swinging against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as he slid over for the special, anticipating, probably correctly, that the Kentucky Republican would spend resources to beat him.
Top Republicans see McDaniel as a flawed candidate who could be vulnerable against a Democrat in deep red Mississippi. That’s why worked hard to defeat him in 2014.
“It’s no secret that the Mississippi Republican establishment has been coordinating with Mitch McConnell to do everything in their power to keep me from getting elected to the United States Senate, just as they did with Mo Brooks,” McDaniel said. “Mitch McConnell wants to hand-pick our next Senator. I understand why. It’s because they know that I won’t be answering to them, I’ll be answering to the voters of Mississippi and putting Mississippi first.”
