Thread: Thad Cochran Beats Back Tea Party Challenger in Mississippi

POLITICS 2014 ELECTION

Thad Cochran Beats Back Tea Party Challenger in Mississippi

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11:21 PM ET

Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., is interviewed after a tour of City Hall in Olive Branch, Miss., May 30, 2014.Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images

A win for the GOP establishment over the Tea Party

Sen. Thad Cochran narrowly won Mississippi’s Republican primary election Tuesday, prevailing over a Tea Party challenger in a hard-fought runoff vote that was seen as a proxy for the intramural fight between the GOP establishment and conservative insurgents.

Cochran, a six-term incumbent, beat two-term state Sen. Chris McDaniel, a former talk-radio host with strong Tea Party support, by just a few thousand thousand votes. The Associated Press called the race for Cochran a few minutes after 11 p.m. E.T. With 98.1% of precincts reporting, Cochran had 50.7% of the vote to McDaniel’s 49.3%. McDaniel had bested Cochran by a half-a-percentage point in the initial June 3 primary, but neither man won a clear majority, forcing the two into a runoff that culminated Tuesday.

The nominating contest drew national attention as it developed along clear ideological lines between conservative Tea Party activists supporting McDaniel and GOP establishment figures backing Cochran, mirroring the wider civil war boiling in the party. An incumbent with decades of experience in Washington, Cochran earned a reputation in his career for bringing federal dollars into Mississippi, something for which McDaniel supporters labeled him the “King of Pork.”

The election drew millions of dollars in outside spending from national entities like the conservative Club for Growth and Sarah Palin for McDaniel, and the Chamber of Commerce and John McCain for Cochran. The race also took some nasty turns, as voters were inundated with accusations and counter-accusations that flew back and forth in negative ads. At one point, a group of McDaniel supporters were caught taking pictures of Cochran’s ailing wife in a nursing home.

Cochran will go on to face Democrat Travis Childers in November’s general election. Though weakened after a drawn out, internecine battle, Cochran, who has more than 40 years under his belt as a Mississippi politician, is likely to emerge victorious in the deeply conservative state.

http://time.com/2919685/thad-cochran...ssippi-primary

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http://www.alipac.us/f9/bloggers-arr...rimary-302928/

Amnesty Opponent Will Win Mississippi Senate Race Tomorrow

June 23, 2014

Contact: Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) Press@alipac.us | (866) 703-0864

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC is pointing out that American citizens who oppose immigration reform amnesty for illegal immigrants are in a 'win win' situation in tomorrow's US Senate race between incumbent Thad Cochran and challenger Chris McDaniel because both oppose amnesty for illegals.

Thad Cochran has consistently voted against amnesty legislation while in the US Senate as his constituents and American activists fighting against amnesty legislation have asked him to.

Chris McDaniel signed a non-profit organization's pledge to oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants. ALIPAC did not consider an endorsement for McDaniel because of Cochran's solid opposition to amnesty legislation and because noALIPAC 2014 federal candidate survey was submitted.

"We are very happy that Americans fighting against illegal immigration, which is fostered by defacto amnesty and amnesty legislation, will win regardless of who wins in Mississippi tomorrow," said William Gheen, President of ALIPAC. "We applaud both Chris McDaniel and Senator Thad Cochran for standing with the majority of Americans who oppose immigration reform amnesty that would further undermine America's elections, laws, and borders by encouraging more illegal immigration."

The fact that amnesty legislation and promises encourage illegal immigration is being proven at our borders today where tens of thousands of unaccompanied illegal alien minors and many working age men are illegally immigrating in response to the beckoning of Senate Bill 744 and amnesty supporting politicianslike Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, John Boehner, Robert Goodlatte, and many others.

Americans for Legal Immigration PAC is endorsing more than 100 federal candidates so far this year and strives to inform Americans which candidates support immigration reform amnesty for illegals versus which candidates support America's existing border and immigration laws instead.

For more information, candidate positions, or to schedule interviews please visitwww.ALIPAC.us.

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http://www.alipac.us/f8/amnesty-opponents-will-win-mississippi-senate-race-tomorrow-305307/

http://www.alipac.us/f9/rockefeller-...maries-305449/

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