This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/25/mississippi-primary-thad-cochran-wins-in-relief-for-republican-mainstream

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Mississippi primary: Thad Cochran wins in relief for GOP mainstream Mississippi primary: Thad Cochran wins in relief for GOP mainstream
(2 months later)
Mississippi’s incumbent Republican senator Mississippi’s incumbent Republican senator Thad Cochran narrowly beat his Tea Party challenger on Tuesday night after a protracted primary campaign that left a bitter, racially charged debate in its wake.
Thad Cochran narrowly beat his Tea Party challenger on Tuesday night after a protracted primary campaign that left a bitter, racially charged debate in its wake. Cochran’s victory over Chris McDaniel, a staunchly conservative state senator, was far from decisive and appeared to rely on Democratic-leaning African American voters crossing over to vote in the Republican primary.
Cochran’s victory over Chris McDaniel, a staunchly conservative state McDaniel reacted furiously to the result, refusing to concede the race, questioning the legitimacy of Democrats voting in a Republican primary and hinting at possible legal challenges in the days ahead.
senator, was far from decisive and appeared to rely on Democratic-leaning African American voters crossing over to vote in the Republican primary. “We are not prone to surrender,” McDaniel told his supporters shortly before midnight in an animated, rambling speech in which he did not even mention Cochran’s name.
McDaniel “As you know folks there were literally dozens of irregularities reported across this state. You know why. You’ve read the stories. You’re familiar with the problems we’ve had. Now it is our job to ensure the sanctity of the vote is upheld.”
reacted furiously to the result, refusing to concede the race,
questioning the legitimacy of Democrats voting in a Republican primary
and hinting at possible legal challenges in the days ahead.
“We
are not prone to surrender,” McDaniel told his supporters shortly
before midnight in an animated, rambling speech in which he did not even
mention Cochran’s name.
“As
you know folks there were literally dozens of irregularities reported
across this state. You know why. You’ve read the stories. You’re
familiar with the problems we’ve had. Now it is our job to ensure the
sanctity of the vote is upheld.”
He added: “Before this race ends we have to be absolutely certain that the Republican primary was won by Republican votes.”He added: “Before this race ends we have to be absolutely certain that the Republican primary was won by Republican votes.”
Under Under Mississippi rules all voters, regardless of affiliation, are permitted to vote in the GOP primary, as long as they do not also cast a vote in the parallel Democratic primary.
Mississippi rules all voters, regardless of affiliation, are permitted Conservative groups and McDaniel supporters stationed monitors at polling stations across Mississippi, ostensibly to check that voters who voted in the Democratic primary earlier this month did not also participate in the second round of voting in the GOP primary.
to vote in the GOP primary, as long as they do not also cast a vote in The move unnerved civil rights campaigners in the a deeply segregated stated with an ugly history of voter intimidation. The extent to which the black vote swung the election in Cochran's favour has yet to be established.
the parallel Democratic primary. What is clear, however, is that the six-term white senator's path to victory was as slim as his campaign was unorthodox, leaving him less than 5,000 votes ahead out of around 360,000 ballots cast.
Conservative Still, it will come as a huge relief to the Republican establishment, which was shocked a fortnight ago by the unexpected primary defeat of Eric Cantor, the Republican majority leader in the House of Representatives, by a Tea Party challenger.
groups and McDaniel supporters stationed monitors at polling stations Apart from Cantor’s dramatic defeat, which led him to stand down as majority leader and triggered a contest for power, the Tea Party movement has struggled to secure prominent scalps during this primary season, having funded deeply conservative candidates who failed in Senate primaries in Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina.
across Mississippi, ostensibly to check that voters who voted in the
Democratic primary earlier this month did not also participate in the
second round of voting in the GOP primary.
The
move unnerved civil rights campaigners in the a deeply segregated
stated with an ugly history of voter intimidation. The extent to which
the black vote swung the election in Cochran's favour has yet to be
established.
What
is clear, however, is that the six-term white senator's path to
victory was as slim as his campaign was unorthodox, leaving him less
than 5,000 votes ahead out of around 360,000 ballots cast.
Still, it will
come as a huge relief to the Republican establishment, which was shocked
a fortnight ago by the unexpected primary defeat of Eric Cantor, the
Republican majority leader in the House of Representatives, by a Tea
Party challenger.
Apart
from Cantor’s dramatic defeat, which led him to stand down as majority
leader and triggered a contest for power, the Tea Party movement has
struggled to secure prominent
scalps during this primary season, having funded deeply conservative
candidates who failed in Senate primaries in Kentucky, Georgia and North
Carolina.
It is now unlikely the Tea Party will topple a single Republican Senate incumbent this year.It is now unlikely the Tea Party will topple a single Republican Senate incumbent this year.
There was more bad news for Tea Party-aligned groups in Oklahoma on Tuesday after the Republican representative James Lankford – the candidate There was more bad news for Tea Party-aligned groups in Oklahoma on Tuesday after the Republican representative James Lankford – the candidate preferred by the establishment in the contest for an open seat in the deep-red state – easily beat a more rightwing challenger, the former state house speaker TW Shannon.
preferred by the establishment in the contest for an open seat in the
deep-red state – easily beat a more rightwing challenger, the former state
house speaker TW Shannon.
Conservative groups had channelled more than $1.7m to the Shannon campaign.Conservative groups had channelled more than $1.7m to the Shannon campaign.
And And in Colorado the fiercely anti-immigration conservative and former presidential candidate Ted Tancredo was comfortably overcome by a more moderate former congressman, Bob Beauprez, in the primary to choose the Republican candidate for the state's governor.
in Colorado the fiercely anti-immigration conservative and former But it was the Mississippi primary result that attracted most attention, after the battle became the most closely fought and protracted of any Republican Senate primary, sucking time, energy and money from both Tea Party and establishment factions.
presidential candidate Ted Tancredo was comfortably overcome by a more The party’s Washington-based hierarchy rallied behind 76-year-old Cochran, the epitome of a southern Republican appropriator, after he was forced into a run-off by McDaniel, 41, a former talkshow host, earlier this month.
moderate former congressman, Bob Beauprez, in the primary to choose the After the embarrassing defeat in the first round of voting Cochran’s strategists calculated that their best option was to appeal to a broader base of voters, including those who do not usually support the party. Cochran aired TV ads showing him interacting with black voters and also changed the messaging in his campaign, emphasising the benefits of federal government spending in the impoverished state.
Republican candidate for the state's governor. In the earlier round of voting, on 3 June, a third candidate prevented either Cochran or McDaniel securing the 50% threshold required to win the nomination outright. Both Cochran and McDaniel finished on around 49% with the Tea Party insurgent ahead by a slim 1,500 votes.
But Tuesday’s night’s result saw a reversal of fortunes for the two candidates, but only after a similarly tight contest that once again came down to the wire and had supporters of both men closely watching the tally late into the night.
it was the Mississippi primary result that attracted most attention, In the end Cochran won by fewer than 5,000 votes, apparently gleaning the edge after increasing turnout in counties favourable to him – including Democratic-leaning areas and those with large populations of black voters.
after the battle became the most closely fought and protracted of any Shortly after 11.30pm, with 99.7% of precincts having reported, Associated Press had called the race for incumbent, who had spent 42 years in Congress.
Republican Senate primary, sucking time, energy and money from both Tea Cochran had 50.9% while McDaniel trailed closely behind on 49.1%. Cochran gave a brief acceptance speech in front of jubilant supporters. “It is a group effort, it is not a solo,” he told the crowd in Jackson. “We all have a right to be proud of our state tonight.”
Party and establishment factions. Democrats, however, may regret having backed Cochran. The party’s strategists in Washington had hoped for a McDaniel win, believing his nomination would alienate moderate voters and could bring Mississippi, usually a reliably Republican state, into play in the November midterm election.
The party’s Washington-based hierarchy rallied behind 76-year-old Cochran, the Few political analysts believe the Democratic nominee, Travis Childers, has anything other than a long shot at winning in Mississippi despite his conservative credentials as a pro-NRA, anti-abortion former congressman from a red district.
epitome of a southern Republican appropriator, after he was forced As such Cochran’s victory was a significant boost to Republican hopes of regaining control of the Senate come November by increasing their proportion of senators.
into a run-off by McDaniel, 41, a former talkshow host, earlier this With primaries also held in Utah, Maryland and New York on Tuesday another notable result included the victory of the flamboyant Democratic congressman from Harlem, Charlie Rangel, who overcome an ethics controversy to comfortably beat his challenger.
month. But the night will be remembered for Cochran’s narrow victory on the back of an unlikely coalition that included some at least some black voters and Democrats – and the refusal of his staunchly conservative opponent to accept a defeat of that nature.
After Shortly before McDaniel appeared on stage at his campaign event in Hattiesburg one of his campaign officials took to the microphone to recount an anecdote. McDaniel, he said, had once told him he was “a fighter”.
the embarrassing defeat in the first round of voting Cochran’s “And, if you’re gonna fight, you walk in the room, you pick the biggest man in there and you punch him in the nose,” he said. “And I’ll be darned if that’s not what he did. Amongst conservative Mississippians Chris McDaniel won tonight. And it is not over."
strategists calculated that their best option was to appeal to a broader
base of voters, including those who do not usually support the party.
Cochran aired TV ads showing him interacting with black voters and also
changed the messaging in his campaign, emphasising the benefits of
federal government spending in the impoverished state.
In the earlier round of voting, on 3 June, a third candidate prevented either Cochran or McDaniel securing
the 50% threshold required to win the nomination outright. Both Cochran and McDaniel finished on around 49% with the
Tea Party insurgent ahead by a slim 1,500 votes.
Tuesday’s
night’s result saw a reversal of fortunes for the two candidates, but
only after a similarly tight contest that once again came down to the
wire and had supporters of both men closely watching the tally late
into the night.
In
the end Cochran won by fewer than 5,000 votes, apparently gleaning the
edge after increasing turnout in counties favourable to him – including
Democratic-leaning areas and those with large populations of black
voters.
Shortly
after 11.30pm, with 99.7% of precincts having reported, Associated
Press had called the race for incumbent, who had spent 42 years in
Congress.
Cochran
had 50.9% while McDaniel trailed closely behind on 49.1%. Cochran gave
a brief acceptance speech in front of jubilant supporters. “It is a
group effort, it is not a solo,” he told the crowd in Jackson. “We all
have a right to be proud of our state tonight.”
Democrats,
however, may regret having backed Cochran. The party’s strategists in
Washington had hoped for a McDaniel win, believing his nomination
would alienate moderate voters and could bring Mississippi, usually a
reliably Republican state, into play in the November midterm election.
Few
political analysts believe the Democratic nominee, Travis Childers, has
anything other than a long shot at winning in Mississippi despite his conservative credentials as a pro-NRA, anti-abortion former congressman from a red district.
As
such Cochran’s victory was a significant boost to Republican hopes of
regaining control of the Senate come November by increasing their
proportion of senators.
With
primaries also held in Utah, Maryland and New York on Tuesday another
notable result included the victory of the flamboyant Democratic
congressman from Harlem, Charlie Rangel, who overcome an ethics
controversy to comfortably beat his challenger.
But
the night will be remembered for Cochran’s narrow victory on the back
of an unlikely coalition that included some at least some black voters
and Democrats – and the refusal of his staunchly conservative opponent
to accept a defeat of that nature.
Shortly
before McDaniel appeared on stage at his campaign event in Hattiesburg one of his campaign officials took to the microphone to recount an
anecdote. McDaniel, he said, had once told him he was “a fighter”.
“And,
if you’re gonna fight, you walk in the room, you pick the biggest man
in there and you punch him in the nose,” he said. “And I’ll be darned
if that’s not what he did. Amongst conservative Mississippians Chris
McDaniel won tonight. And it is not over."