JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — National tea party organizations are turning their attention to Mississippi’s Republican primary runoff.
In less than three weeks, tea-party-backed challenger Chris McDaniel will try to put an end to Sen. Thad Cochran’s bid for a seventh Senate term. Neither of them could quite reach the 50-percent mark in Tuesday’s primary.
In a midterm election year when tea party candidates haven’t gotten much traction, McDaniel has become the frontman for the many national groups working to pull the Republican Party rightward.
The Tea Party Express, in a message to its members, says, “The eyes of the entire nation are on this race, and we must not lose.”
As McDaniel’s allies try to keep his supporters energized, Cochran’s allies in the GOP establishment are looking to sharpen his message. The National Republican Senatorial Committee says it expects a “vigorous debate about the future of our country,” and that it will “continue to fully support Thad Cochran.”
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APPHOTO MSRS106: Forced into a runoff, U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., started the first day of a three-week campaign Wednesday, June 4, 2014 with a brief afternoon stop at a fast-food restaurant in Flowood, Miss., where he also spoke to reporters. Cochran, 76 is seeking a seventh term. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) (4 Jun 2014)
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