State Sen. Chris McDaniel says he wants to stop the “shenanigans” in Mississippi and allow its residents “to elect its senator free of Washington, D.C., interference.”
The Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate spoke to about 20 Leflore-Carroll Tea Party members at the Crystal Grill Thursday.
This was McDaniel’s first speaking event since his announcement Wednesday that he will run for the seat of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran — who has announced his retirement effective April 1 — rather than continue to challenge to Sen. Roger Wicker.
Gov. Phil Bryant will appoint someone to fill the vacant seat until a Nov. 6 nonpartisan election for the two-year remainder of the seat’s term.
Bryant this week called McDaniel “opportunistic” and has made no indication that he will consider him as an appointee.
When asked by a tea party member if McDaniel believes Bryant will make the “right decision” and appoint McDaniel, he replied, “Phil is an old friend, and I still like him. I think he has done a good job as governor for the most part.”
McDaniel said Bryant had never called him “opportunistic” over the years when he had supported him, including efforts during Bryant’s race for lieutenant governor.
For the majority of his speech, McDaniel referenced those election “shenanigans” and objected to how Mississippi continues to keep “electing the same old men again and keep thinking that things will be different.”
McDaniel said he made the decision to switch races to help strengthen the chances of a Republican win.
“The idea (was) that we could find a way to unite around a single Republican early and avoid a ... party conflict that would cause a fight that would ultimately weaken all of our candidates to where the Democrat could win,” he said.
McDaniel, who lost in a 2014 primary runoff to Cochran, said he hoped to redeem himself.
“All that I am asking is that I be fulfilled the final two years of that term. We ran for it, we fought for it, we thought we did very well. God had other plans. We didn’t get there,” he said.
He said if he were to be elected he refused to be a “yes man” for Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate’s majority leader.
“The United States Senate has been almost a no show,” McDaniel said. “We can't think of the last time they have passed a real conservative piece of legislation.”
•Contact Lauren Randall at 581-7239 or lrandall@gwcommonwealth.com.
