BOBBY HARRISON: McDaniel cast his lot with unenforceable law
At the heart of Chris McDaniel’s attempted legal challenge of his election loss to incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran is a section of law that states a person should not vote in a party primary election unless that voter intends to support the party’s nominee in the general election.
McDaniel filed his election challenge on numerous grounds, but in reality his primary complaint was that he and his supporters were upset that Cochran apparently convinced people who normally vote in the Democratic primary to participate in the June 24 Republican runoff, giving Cochran a narrow margin of victory.
Of course, that issue will not be litigated because last week the state Supreme Court by a 4-2 margin affirmed a decision of a lower court that McDaniel’s lawsuit should be dismissed because he waited too late to file it. A separate written opinion issued by Justice Michael Randolph of Hattiesburg addressed the section of law dealing with voters not participating in a primary unless they intend to support that party’s nominee in the general election.
Daily Journal
10/29/14
Magnolia Tribune
