Sept. trial likely for Miss. election challenge

EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

LAUREL, Miss. (AP) — A judge presiding over a lawsuit that challenges Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran’s victory in a Republican primary runoff says he intends to finish the case before the November general election.

Retired Chancellor Hollis McGehee held a status conference Wednesday in Laurel, Mississippi.

State Sen. Chris McDaniel filed a lawsuit last week demanding that a judge declare him the Republican nominee or order a new runoff between him and Cochran.

Certified results of the June 24 runoff show that six-term incumbent Cochran defeated the tea party-backed McDaniel by 7,667 votes. McDaniel claims voting irregularities tainted the runoff.

McGehee will hear arguments on pre-trial motions Aug. 28. He says he’s considering Sept. 15 or Sept. 22 as possible trial start dates.

Neither McDaniel nor Cochran was in court Wednesday.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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