Runoff appears likely in Thad Cochran, Chris McDaniel US Senate race
Tuesday’s neck-and-neck Republican primary results seem to point to a June 24 runoff between longtime U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and his challenger, tea party-backed state Sen. Chris McDaniel.
As totals continued to trickle in, McDaniel led by 2,373 votes, which still didn’t appear to be enough to capture the spot on the ballot.
With more than 99 percent of precincts reporting at around 1 a.m., returns showed the challenger ahead in the race, but McDaniel was just short of the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff.
McDaniel had 150,917 votes, or 49.6 percent, to Cochran’s 148,544 votes, or 48.8 percent. Thomas Carey had just 1.6 percent with 4,729 votes.
“For too long, we’ve been silent. For too long, we sat still. For too long, we let them have their way with us,” McDaniel told supporters late Tuesday in a slap at the Washington establishment.
“It’s looking like a runoff,” conceded Rep. Gregg Harper, addressing a crowd of Cochran supporters.
The victor will face Democrat Travis Childers in the Nov. 4 general election.
Gulflive
6/3/14
Magnolia Tribune
