Cook Report: Players deciding what to do in Cochran-McDaniel Mississippi race
June 04, 2014 | 01:25 PM
With neither Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Thad Cochran, R-Miss., nor his tea party primary opponent, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, receiving the 50 percent of votes needed to win the Mississippi Republican primary Tuesday, a runoff will be held June 24, and Republican groups are deciding whether to be involved or not, The Cook Political Report said today.
Cook Political Senate analyst Jennifer Duffy noted that American Crossroads. Communications Director Paul Lindsay said it would not be involved in the runoff.
“Other than Alaska, we have completed our work on Senate primaries this cycle and are now focused on general elections,” Duffy said. “With the Chamber, the NRSC, and a local super PAC already backing Cochran, this is not our fight.”
Duffy also noted that American Crossroads’ decision to stay out will deny Cochran “a major source of outside spending,” but that Rob Collins, the executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has said that the committee will “fully support” Cochran in the runoff.
Duffy also noted that Rob Engstrom, the national political director for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce tweeted earlier today, “The @USChamber will stand by Senator Cochran (@ThadforMS).”
Duffy also said there is a super PAC dedicated to Cochran that spent heavily in the primary and can be expected to continue to do so in the runoff.
Meanwhile, Duffy said, the Club for Growth, which invested heavily in the primary for McDaniel, issued a statement urging Cochran to drop out of the race.
“This is not an especially reasonable request given that just 2,000 votes separate the two candidates,” Duffy said.
Red State, a conservative blog, went further by demanding that the NRSC start paying for television ads in support of McDaniel, she noted.
Josef Nosef, the chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, told NBC News that he expects the runoff to energize Cochran's supporters. The McDaniel supporters, he noted are “already energized.”
Cook Political Senate analyst Jennifer Duffy noted that American Crossroads. Communications Director Paul Lindsay said it would not be involved in the runoff.
“Other than Alaska, we have completed our work on Senate primaries this cycle and are now focused on general elections,” Duffy said. “With the Chamber, the NRSC, and a local super PAC already backing Cochran, this is not our fight.”
Duffy also noted that American Crossroads’ decision to stay out will deny Cochran “a major source of outside spending,” but that Rob Collins, the executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has said that the committee will “fully support” Cochran in the runoff.
Duffy also noted that Rob Engstrom, the national political director for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce tweeted earlier today, “The @USChamber will stand by Senator Cochran (@ThadforMS).”
Duffy also said there is a super PAC dedicated to Cochran that spent heavily in the primary and can be expected to continue to do so in the runoff.
Meanwhile, Duffy said, the Club for Growth, which invested heavily in the primary for McDaniel, issued a statement urging Cochran to drop out of the race.
“This is not an especially reasonable request given that just 2,000 votes separate the two candidates,” Duffy said.
Red State, a conservative blog, went further by demanding that the NRSC start paying for television ads in support of McDaniel, she noted.
Josef Nosef, the chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, told NBC News that he expects the runoff to energize Cochran's supporters. The McDaniel supporters, he noted are “already energized.”
