United States Senate elections in Mississippi, 2014

| Mississippi's 2014 elections

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U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State ballot measures • School boards • Judicial • Candidate ballot access |

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U.S. Senate, Mississippi General Election, 2014

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Thad Cochran Incumbent | 59.9% | 378,481
| Democratic  |  Travis Childers  | 37.9% | 239,439
| Reform  |  Shawn O'Hara  | 2.2% | 13,938
Total Votes | 631,858
Source: Mississippi Secretary of State Official Results

2014 U.S. Senate Elections in Mississippi

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General Election Date
November 4, 2014

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Primary Date
June 3, 2014

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November 4 Election Winner:
Thad Cochran
Incumbent prior to election:
Thad Cochran

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Race Ratings
Cook Political Report: Likely R[1]

Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe R[2]

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Other Senate Elections Alabama • Alaska • Arkansas • Colorado • Delaware • Georgia • Idaho • Illinois • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Montana • Nebraska • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • North Carolina • Oklahoma • Oregon • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Virginia • West Virginia • Wyoming

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2014 U.S. House Elections

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## Contents

* 1 Candidates
* 2 General election results
* 3 Primary results
* 3.1 Runoff results
* 4 Legal challenges to Republican runoff
* 4.1 Timeline of events
* 4.2 Republican response
* 4.2.1 Criticism
* 4.2.2 Support
* 4.3 Democratic response
* 4.4 Noteworthy events
* 4.4.1 Voting in Democratic primary
* 5 Race background
* 5.1 Primary vulnerability
* 5.2 Photos of Cochran's wife
* 5.3 Democrat-aimed Cochran ad
* 5.4 "Indecent things with animals"
* 6 Endorsements
* 6.1 Thad Cochran
* 6.2 Chris McDaniel
* 7 Polls
* 7.1 Republican primary polls
* 7.2 Runoff primary polls
* 7.3 General election polls
* 8 Campaign contributions
* 8.1 Thad Cochran
* 8.2 Travis Childers
* 8.3 Chris McDaniel
* 9 Election history
* 9.1 2014
* 9.2 2012
* 9.3 2008
* 10 Media
* 10.1 Primary runoff ads
* 10.2 Thad Cochran
* 10.2.1 Ads regarding photo scandal
* 10.3 Chris McDaniel
* 10.4 Travis Childers
* 11 See also
* 12 External links
* 13 Footnotes

Voters in Mississippi elected Thad Cochran (R) to the U.S. Senate in the election on November 4, 2014.

Incumbent Thad Cochran (R), defeated Travis Childers (D) in the November general election. Shawn O'Hara of the Reform Party also ran for Cochran's seat. Cochran faced favorable odds of re-election with Mississippi favoring Republican candidates for the seat. Cook Political Report listed Mississippi as "Likely R" signifying Cochran's advantage. Additionally, Cochran was able to outspend Childers due to having more cash-on-hand in his campaign coffer. Early October polls showed Cochran with a comfortable lead over Childers, further solidifying his position to be re-elected.[3]

Incumbent Thad Cochran faced a tough challenge in the Republican primary by Chris McDaniel. Although Cochran maintained a lead over McDaniel in terms of campaign finances, the Republican primary polls did not reveal a clear winner. In the Republican primary on June 3, 2014, although McDaniel received slightly more votes than Cochran, he did not receive the 50 percent of votes necessary to win the primary. Candidate Thomas Carey took enough votes to send McDaniel and Cochran into a runoff. McDaniel and Cochran competed one-on-one in the primary runoff on June 24, 2014.

Bill Marcy, Travis Childers, William Bond Compton, Jr. and Jonathan Rawl all competed for the Democratic nomination in the primary.[4] Marcy ran as a Republican in 2012 and said that he was running in 2014 as a "Plan B" for voters if Cochran won the Republican primary.[5] Childers easily won Democratic primary, having raised $51,600 in the April Quarterly FEC report and leading in the polls.[6][7]

Leading up to the runoff, many of the groups that ran ads for Cochran in the primary began to scale back their support. On the one hand, they supported Cochran's platform and believed that Cochran had a better chance of winning in the general election against Childers. On the other hand, these groups believed that running more ads against McDaniel would "only damage the party's ability to beat the Democratic candidate and take over the Senate.[8] Some groups, such as American Crossroads, withdrew their support from Cochran, stating, "Other than Alaska, we have completed our work on Senate primaries this cycle and are now focused on general elections. With the Chamber, the NRSC, and a local super PAC already backing Cochran, this is not our fight."[9]

Despite losing supporters and trailing in many runoff polls, Cochran pulled ahead and defeated McDaniel for the Republican nomination. McDaniel, however, did not concede his loss. McDaniel and his supporters said that they found over 1,000 ballots cast for Cochran by voters who had also voted in the Democratic primary. Mississippi law does not require that voters register with the party in order to vote in that primary, but they cannot vote for one party in the primary and a different party in its runoff. The law also states that voters in the primary must intend to support that party in the general election.[10] On July 1, 2014, a group called True the Vote filed a lawsuit in McDaniel's defense against the Mississippi Secretary of State and the Republican Party of Mississippi.[11]

On August 4, McDaniel announced that he would challenge the runoff results by calling for a vote from the Mississippi GOP’s central committee during a public hearing, but the GOP chairman refused to hear his case.[12][13] Then, on August 14, McDaniel officially challenged the election in court, accusing Cochran of "intentional solicitation of Democrat voters to violate State law" and stating that "the permitted unlawful votes produced an outcome that does not express the will of qualified Republican party electors."[14] Judge Hollis McGehee dismissed the lawsuit on August 29, stating that Mississippi law requires a challenge to be filed within 20 days of the election, and McDaniel missed the deadline.[15] Judge Nancy Atlas ruled against True the Vote's lawsuit on the same day.[16]

Candidate Filing Deadline  |  Primary Election  |  General Election

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March 1, 2014 |  June 3, 2014 |  November 4, 2014

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Mississippi state law stipulates that an individual can only participate in a party's primary if he or she "intends to support the nominations made in the primary" in which he or she participates. However, this is generally considered an unenforceable requirement. Consequently, Mississippi's primary is effectively open.[17][18][19][20]

Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters had to register by May 25, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 5, 2014.[21]

See also: Mississippi elections, 2014

Incumbent: The election filled the Senate seat held by Thad Cochran (R). Cochran was first elected in 1978.

## Candidates[edit]

General election candidates

* Thad Cochrana
* Travis Childers
* Shawn O'Hara (Reform Party)

June 24 Republican runoff primary

Note: No candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote in the June 3, 2014, primary election. A runoff primary election was held between the top two candidates.[22][23]

* Chris McDaniel
* Thad Cochrana

June 3, 2014, primary results

Republican Primary

* Thad Cochran \- Incumbent[24]a
* Chris McDaniel[25]a
* Thomas Carey

Democratic Primary

* Bill Marcy[26]
* Travis Childersa
* William Bond Compton, Jr.
* Jonathan Rawl

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## General election results[edit]

The state of Mississippi held an election for the U.S. Senate on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Thad Cochran (R) defeated challengers Travis Childers (D) and Shawn O'Hara (RP) in the general election.

U.S. Senate, Mississippi General Election, 2014

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Thad Cochran Incumbent | 59.9% | 378,481
| Democratic  |  Travis Childers  | 37.9% | 239,439
| Reform  |  Shawn O'Hara  | 2.2% | 13,938
Total Votes | 631,858
Source: Mississippi Secretary of State Official Results

## Primary results[edit]

U.S. Senate, Mississippi Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Chris McDaniel | 49.5% | 157,733
Thad Cochran Incumbent | 49% | 156,315
Thomas Carey  | 1.5% | 4,854
Total Votes | 318,902
Source: Mississippi Secretary of State - Official Republican primary results
U.S. Senate, Mississippi Democratic Primary, 2014

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Travis Childers | 74% | 63,548
Bill Marcy  | 12.1% | 10,361
William Bond Compton, Jr.  | 9.9% | 8,465
Jonathan Rawl  | 4.1% | 3,492
Total Votes | 85,866
Source: Mississippi Secretary of State - Official Democratic primary results

### Runoff results[edit]

U.S. Senate, Mississippi Runoff Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate | Vote % | Votes
Thad Cochran Incumbent | 51% | 194,932
Chris McDaniel  | 49% | 187,265
Total Votes | 382,197
Source: Mississippi Secretary of State - Official Republican runoff primary results

## Legal challenges to Republican runoff[edit]

See also: Legal challenges to the U.S. Senate race in Mississippi

Mississippi's 2014 U.S. Senate election gained nation-wide media attention when accusations of voter fraud in the Republican runoff primary between incumbent Thad Cochran and challenger Chris McDaniel created hostilities within the GOP, eventually leading to two separate legal challenges.

1. True the Vote filed a lawsuit against the Mississippi Secretary of State and the Republican Party of Mississippi, arguing that they were denied access to voting records that should have been released based on the National Voter Registration Act Of 1993 (NVRA).
2. Chris McDaniel filed a lawsuit against incumbent Thad Cochran, stating that Cochran solicited Democratic votes, many of which violated Mississippi election law.

### Timeline of events[edit]

* June 3, 2014: McDaniel and Cochran competed for the Republican nomination in Mississippi's primary election. McDaniel won 157,733 votes to Cochran's 156,315, but McDaniel did not obtain the 50 percent of votes necessary to avoid a runoff election.[27]

* June 24, 2014: Cochran defeated McDaniel in the runoff primary, with 194,932 votes to McDaniel's 187,265.[28]

* July 1, 2014: True the Vote sued the Republican Party of Mississippi and the Mississippi Secretary of State, Delbert Hosemann, for failing to release the voting records necessary for an investigation of voter fraud in the Cochran vs. McDaniel runoff. The lawsuit argued that the records should have been released under the National Voter Registration Act Of 1993 (NVRA).[29]

* July 3, 2014: McDaniel notified Cochran of his plans to challenge the primary runoff results due to illegitimate crossover votes from people who had voted in the Democratic primary and the Republican runoff.[30]

* July 7, 2014: Mississippi Northern District Federal Judge Michael Mills issued a cause order expressing his belief that the True the Vote lawsuit should have been filed in the Southern District rather than the Northern District.[31]

* July 8, 2014: True the Vote withdrew their lawsuit without prejudice.[31]

* July 9, 2014: True the Vote refiled their lawsuit in Jackson, in the Southern District, adding election commissions in Copiah, Hinds, Jefferson Davis, Lauderdale, Leake, Madison, Rankin, Simpson and Yazoo counties to the list of defendants.[32]

* July 24, 2014: Judge Nancy Atlas presided over a hearing for True the Vote's lawsuit, but did not make a ruling on the case.[33]

* August 4, 2014: McDaniel confirmed at a news conference that he would challenge the runoff results by calling for a public hearing of the Mississippi GOP’s central committee.[12]

* August 6, 2014: In a letter to McDaniel's attorney, Joe Nosef, chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, refused to hear McDaniel's case in a GOP hearing due to the short amount of time they would have to make a decision. He suggested instead that McDaniel take the case to court.[34]

* August 14, 2014: McDaniel formally filed a legal challenge in Jones County, asking to delay adding Cochran's name to the general election ballot and calling for a new primary runoff.[35]

* August 15, 2014: The chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court appointed retired chancery judge, Hollis McGehee, to oversee McDaniel's case.[36]

* August 20, 2014: Judge McGehee refused to grant McDaniel's request to prevent Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann from preparing the ballots with Cochran's name, on the grounds that McDaniel did not sue Hosemann.[37]

* August 21, 2014: Cochran's attorneys filed papers asking that the lawsuit be dismissed because McDaniel filed it too late. The papers also stated that McDaniel should not have sued Cochran, as he had no control over the election process.[37]

* August 25, 2014: McDaniel's legal team submitted a response to Cochran's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The response argued that challenges to a state-wide primary election do not have to be filed within a certain time frame following the election.[38]

* August 29, 2014: Judge Hollis McGehee dismissed the election challenge. The McDaniel campaign scheduled a news conference for September 2, at which McDaniel planned to announce whether or not he would file an appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court.[39] McDaniel later pushed back the news conference, needing more time to make the decision.[40]

* August 29, 2014: Judge Nancy Atlas ruled against True the Vote's lawsuit, stating that the requested voter information was not required to be disclosed under the National Voter Registration Act Of 1993 (NVRA).[16]

* September 5, 2014: McDaniel's lawyer, Mitch Tyner, filed an appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court, challenging the dismissal of McDaniel's lawsuit against Cochran.[41][42]

* September 24, 2014: Cochran filed papers with the state Supreme Court asking that McDaniel's lawsuit be dismissed, as it had been in the Jones County circuit court.[43]

* October 24, 2014: The state Supreme Court ruled to uphold the decision of the Jones County circuit court to dismiss McDaniel's lawsuit against Cochran. Four justices concurred with the decision, while two dissented and three did not participate. The two dissenting were Justices Josiah Coleman and Ann Lamar.[44]

### Republican response[edit]

#### Criticism[edit]

* Conservative columnist Ann Coulter called on McDaniel supporters to "get over Cochran." She explained, "When a U.S. president is using the IRS to terrify his political enemies, destroying American health care and opening our southern border to millions of future welfare-collecting, Democratic voters from the Third World, why is a dime's worth of money being wasted on trying to replace the Republican senator from Mississippi with a slightly different Republican?"[45]

* Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann referred to McDaniel's lawsuit as a "distraction," adding, "There's no reason for Mississippi to be involved in this litigation, and I'm hopeful we won't be."[46]

* Former Club for Growth President Chris Chocola stated, "If there’s clearly evidence of wrongdoing, that there were ballot integrity issues I suppose it would be appropriate for him to pursue those, but it would have to be clear. I don’t know that they’re clear at this point.”[47]

* Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who was among those being sued by True the Vote, praised Judge Atlas' ruling against True the Vote, stating, "In the political pandemonium of the last several months, our voters should be encouraged Mississippi’s laws protecting privacy were not preempted by Federal law or the U.S. Constitution."[48]

#### Support[edit]

* Former Alaska governor and U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin posted on Facebook that she supported an investigation of voter fraud in the runoff. She wrote, "I told Chris McDaniel last night that I stand with his effort to get to the bottom of this – he needs to know average, but tremendously concerned, citizens want to make sure the integrity of last night’s results in Mississippi are verified."[49]

### Democratic response[edit]

* Travis Childers, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Mississippi and Thad Cochran's general election challenger, congratulated Cochran on getting McDaniel's lawsuit dismissed. Childers stated, "I congratulate Senator Cochran on his win today in court. The allegations of the past couple months have raised serious questions about the electoral process, and I strongly believe we must ensure that every vote in Mississippi counts."[50]

### Noteworthy events[edit]

#### Voting in Democratic primary[edit]

After losing a highly competitive runoff primary to incumbent Thad Cochran in 2014, McDaniel challenged the results by saying that a large percentage of Cochran's voters were Democrats who had illegally voted in the Republican runoff after voting in the Democratic primary. However, shortly after the runoff, the Clarion-Ledger announced that they had found records of McDaniel voting for a Democratic candidate in Mississippi's 2003 state primary. Although McDaniel denied having done so at first, his spokesman later stated, "Over a decade ago, Chris McDaniel voted in a Democratic primary in order to have a choice in local competitive elections."[51]

## Race background[edit]

The primary battle between state Senator Chris McDaniel and incumbent Thad Cochran was highlighted as one of the top five primaries to watch in 2014. Shortly after McDaniel announced his candidacy, The Club for Growth, SCF, FreedomWorks, the Tea Party Express and the Madison Project all announced support.[52]

### Primary vulnerability[edit]

Cochran was named by National Journal as one of the top five incumbent senators at risk of losing his or her primary election in 2014. Four of the five most vulnerable senators were Republican.[53]

### Photos of Cochran's wife[edit]

Clayton Thomas Kelly, who ran a blog and openly supported Chris McDaniel over Thad Cochran, was arrested on May 16, 2014, for sneaking into St. Catherine's Village, a nursing home, and taking unauthorized photographs of Cochran's bedridden wife in order to post them in an internet video opposing Cochran. He was arrested for exploitation of a vulnerable adult.[54] McDaniel's campaign denied any involvement with Kelly or the video, and McDaniel issued a statement criticizing Kelly's actions and reaching out to Cochran.[55]

### Democrat-aimed Cochran ad[edit]

After Thad Cochran and Chris McDaniel began their battle for the primary runoff election, McDaniel supporters brought attention to an ad that appeared in the Mississippi Link newspaper in late May 2014 . The ad was geared toward Democratic voters, and stated that Cochran was "Behind the latest farm bill that funds the SNAP program and supports our local farmers."[56] Interestingly, the ad stated that it was paid for by "All Citizens for Mississippi," and there was no group of that name registered with the Federal Election Commission. Furthermore, nowhere on the ad did it state whether or not the ad was authorized by Cochran.[57]

### "Indecent things with animals"[edit]

In a campaign speech given on June 10, 2014, Thad Cochran made a comment that caused a stir in the media. While discussing his love of the countryside as a child, he stated that he did "all kinds of indecent things with animals."[58] While listeners laughed it off as a joke, he claimed not even to remember the comment when a reporter later asked him to elaborate. Then, on June 12, 2014, he stated in an interview that he did not know that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor had been defeated in the primary election. Although his team defended him as merely joking, some reporters speculated that Cochran may have been losing some of his mental faculties, and that he would no longer be fit to serve in Congress.[59]

## Endorsements[edit]

### Thad Cochran[edit]

Thad Cochran received the following endorsements:

* Gregg Harper:

"A true statesman, Sen. Cochran has dedicated his life to serving the people of Mississippi.... And Mississippi needs his leadership in the U.S. Senate now more than ever."[60]

* Roger Wicker:

"The people of Mississippi need his experience and proven conservative leadership more than ever. Thad's work on behalf of Mississippi is a testament to his selfless dedication to our state and its future. He has my full support."[60]

* Phil Bryant:

"After Hurricane Katrina, Thad dedicated his time and influence to our state's recovery efforts as we rebuilt from the nation's largest natural disaster. Our state has benefited from Sen. Cochran's leadership for over three decades. In today's political environment, we need this experience for Mississippi's future."[60]

* Tate Reeves:

"I am glad Sen. Cochran is running for re-election and I, like thousands of Mississippians, had encouraged him to do so. He is the father of the conservative Republican takeover of Mississippi, and his wisdom will be an asset to the conservative cause as long as he serves. We as Republicans have a major fight in Washington to unwind the Obama agenda in the next six years, and we need our best minds on the job. I hope all Republicans will rally behind Thad Cochran."[60]

* Former U.S. Senator Trent Lott[61]

* Eagle PAC[62]

* National Right to Life[63]

* National Rifle Association (NRA)[64]

* Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell[65]

* The National Association of Realtors[66]
* The National Association of Realtors spent $400,000 on advertising for the primary and about $166,000 for the runoff.

### Chris McDaniel[edit]

Chris McDaniel received the following endorsements for his 2014 bid:

* Club for Growth[67]
* Tea Party Express[68]
* FreedomWorks[69]
* Senate Conservatives Fund[70]
* Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund[71]
* Gun Owners of America[72]
* Sarah Palin[73]
* Gary Bauer[74]
* Phyllis Schlafly and the Eagle Forum PAC[75]

* Madison Project[76]
* Coalition to Reduce Spending[77]
* Young Americans for Liberty[78]
* Ron Paul[79]
* Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham and Mark Levin[79]
* Rick Santorum[79]
* American Conservative Union[79]
* Family Research Council[79]
* National Association for Gun Rights[79]

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## Polls[edit]

### Republican primary polls[edit]

Thad Cochran vs. Chris McDaniel

Poll | Thad Cochran | Chris McDaniel| Not sure| Margin of Error| Sample Size
Harper Polling (May 27-28, 2014)
| 45%| 40%| 15%| +/-4.0| 599
GEB International (May 14, 2014)
| 36%| 43%| 21%| +/-4| 600
Harper Polling (April 3-5, 2014)
| 52%| 35%| 12%| +/-4.1| 570
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org
Republican primary candidates

Poll | Chris McDaniel | Thad Cochran| Tom Carey| Undecided/Don't know| Margin of Error| Sample Size
Chism Strategies (May 29, 2014)
| 46.4%| 44.3%| 1.4%| 7.9%| +/-3.4| 813
Red Racing Horses (May 28-29, 2014)
| 41%| 42%| 6%| 12%| +/-5| 374
The Polling Company, Inc. (May 14-15, 2014)
| 43%| 39%| 3%| 12%| +/-4.4| 505
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

### Runoff primary polls[edit]

Chris McDaniel vs. Thad Cochran

Poll | Chris McDaniel | Thad Cochran| Margin of Error| Sample Size
Strategic National (June 5, 2014)
| 52.49%| 45.93%| +/-4.66| 442
Chism Strategies (June 5, 2014)
| 50.6%| 47.6%| +/-3.3| 832
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

### General election polls[edit]

Thad Cochran vs. Travis Childers

Poll | Thad Cochran | Travis Childers| Other candidate/Shawn O'Hara| Undecided| Margin of Error| Sample Size
Public Policy Polling (July 10-13, 2014)
| 40%| 24%| 5%| 31%| +/-3.7| 691
Rasmussen Reports (June 25-26, 2014)
| 46%| 34%| 10%| 9%| +/-4| 750
Rasmussen Reports (March 26-29, 2014)
| 48%| 31%| 9%| 12%| +/-4| 750
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org
Chris McDaniel vs. Travis Childers

Poll | Chris McDaniel | Travis Childers| Margin of Error| Sample Size
Public Policy Polling (July 10-13, 2014)
| 36%| 37%| +/-3.7| 691
Rasmussen Reports (March 26-29, 2014)
| 47%| 35%| +/-4| 750
Public Policy Polling (November 15-17, 2013)
| 41%| 38%| +/-4.4| 502
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

## Campaign contributions[edit]

Candidate ballot access

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Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

### Thad Cochran[edit]

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Cochran's reports.[80]

Thad Cochran (2013) Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
April Quarterly[81]| April 9, 2013| $480,184.56| $178,228.98| $(26,442.07)| $6,319,771.47
July Quarterly[82]| July 10, 2013| $6,319,771.47| $170,909.33| $(28,927.76)| $773,953.04
October Quarterly[83]| October 10, 2013| $773,953.04| $53,147.32| $(23,193.11)| $803,907.25
Year-End Quarterly[84]| December 31, 2013| $803,907| $339,337| $(43,326)| $1,100,445
April Quarterly[85]| April 10, 2014| $1,100,445.67| $1,703,077.71| $(1,291,015.20)| $1,512,508.18
July Quarterly[86]| July 15, 2014| $405,878| $1,645,077| $(1,336,666)| $714,290
October Quarterly[87]| October 15, 2014| $714,290| $722,056| $(885,482)| $550,864
| | | Running totals|
| | | $4,811,833.34| $(3,635,052.14)|

### Travis Childers[edit]

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Childers' reports.[88]

| Travis Childers (2014) Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
April Quarterly[89]| April 9, 2014| $0.00| $51,600.00| $(79.75)| $51,520.25
Pre-Primary[90]| May 22, 2014| $51,520.25| $30,575.00| $(8,689.80)| $73,405.45
July Quarterly[91]| July 15, 2014| $73,405| $96,446| $(134,957)| $34,895
| | | Running totals|
| | | $178,621| $(143,726.55)|

### Chris McDaniel[edit]

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are McDaniel's reports.[92]

| Chris McDaniel (2014) Campaign Finance Reports

Report| Date Filed| Beginning Balance| Total Contributions
for Reporting Period| Expenditures| Cash on Hand
Year-End[93]| March 18, 2014| $0.00| $487,802.00| $(172,412.37)| $315,389.63
April Quarterly[94]| April 15, 2014| $315,389.63| $474,584.72| $(323,789.16)| $466,165.19
| | | Running totals|
| | | $962,386.72| $(496,201.53)|

## Election history[edit]

### 2014[edit]

| U.S. Senate, Mississippi General Election, 2014

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Thad Cochran Incumbent | 59.9% | 378,481
| Democratic  |  Travis Childers  | 37.9% | 239,439
| Reform  |  Shawn O'Hara  | 2.2% | 13,938
Total Votes | 631,858
Source: Mississippi Secretary of State Official Results

### 2012[edit]

On November 6, 2012, Roger Wicker won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Albert N. Gore, Thomas Cramer, and Shawn O'Hara in the general election.

U.S. Senate, Mississippi General Election, 2012

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Roger Wicker | 57.2% | 709,626
| Democratic  |  Albert N. Gore, Jr.  | 40.6% | 503,467
| Constitution  |  Thomas Cramer  | 1.2% | 15,281
| Reform  |  Shawn O'Hara  | 1.1% | 13,194
Total Votes | 1,241,568
Source: Mississippi Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

### 2008[edit]

On November 4, 2008, Cochran won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Erik Fleming (D) in the general election.[95]

U.S. Senate, Mississippi General Election, 2008

Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes
| Republican  | Thad Cochran Incumbent | 61.4% | 766,111
| Democratic  |  Erik Fleming  | 38.6% | 480,915
Total Votes | 1,247,026

## Media[edit]

### Primary runoff ads[edit]

After an extremely close Republican primary, groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Realtors and Club for Growth released ads backing either Thad Cochran or Chris McDaniel for the Republican nomination in the primary runoff.[96]

### Thad Cochran[edit]

* Thad Cochran released a campaign ad in which a man praised Cochran for helping him to get through red tape in order to get the medical attention he needed for his brain tumor.[97]
* Leading up to the runoff primary against Chris McDaniel, Cochran released a campaign ad explaining how he has helped Mississippi in his time as U.S. Senator.[98]

Cochran 2014 campaign ad

Cochran's Republican primary runoff ad

#### Ads regarding photo scandal[edit]

* After a Chris McDaniel supporter took photos of Thad Cochran's wife in a recent scandal, Cochran came out with a new campaign ad opposing McDaniel.[99] McDaniel, however, denied any involvement or knowledge of the photos, and retaliated with his own ad.[100]

Cochran ad opposing McDaniel

McDaniel ad in response to Cochran's ad

### Chris McDaniel[edit]

* Chris McDaniel received negative media attention from the Mississippi Conservatives PAC. According to the PAC, McDaniel was hypocritical and tried to take both sides on many issues, including tort reform, Common Core and earmarks.[101]

* In his first campaign ad of the election, McDaniel stated his position on a few issues, highlighting his support for prayer in public schools and second amendment rights.[102]

* McDaniel released another campaign ad in May 2014, this time opposing his opponent in the Republican primary, Thad Cochran.[103]

* Citizens United Political Victory Fund (CUPVF) released an ad on May 21, 2014, opposing Cochran and supporting McDaniel.[104]

* In an ad similar to one put out by Citizens United, the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund released a campaign ad opposing Cochran and praising McDaniel.[105]

* The Mississippi Conservatives PAC released an ad criticizing McDaniel for voting in the Democratic primary.[106]

The Mississippi Conservatives PAC labels McDaniel a hypocrite.

McDaniel's first 2014 campaign ad

McDaniel campaign ad opposing Thad Cochran

Citizens United ad in favor of McDaniel

Tea Party Patriots ad in favor of McDaniel

Mississippi Conservatives PAC ad opposing McDaniel

### Travis Childers[edit]

* Travis Childers released a campaign ad in which three bloodhounds attempted to find Thad Cochran. The ad criticized Cochran for spending too much time out of Mississippi and refusing to debate Childers on the issues.[107]

Childers campaign ad against Thad Cochran

## See also[edit]

* United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2014
* United States Senate elections, 2014

## External links[edit]

* Vote and discuss at SystemWiki
* Mississippi Elections Division

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 Senate Race Ratings for August 22, 2014," accessed August 25, 2014
2. ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 Senate Races," accessed August 25, 2014
3. ↑ Real Clear Politics, "Mississippi Senate Race," accessed October 13, 2014
4. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2014 Candidate Qualifying List," accessed June 2, 2014
5. ↑ The Hill, "Miss. conservative to run against Sen. Cochran as 'Plan B' Democrat," accessed May 29, 2014
6. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Travis Childers April Quarterly," accessed May 29, 2014
7. ↑ Enterprise Journal, "As GOP slugs it out, Childers seeks Dems’ nomination for Senate," accessed May 29, 2014
8. ↑ National Journal, "Thad Cochran's Allies Consider Scaling Back Their Support for the Embattled Senator," accessed June 9, 2014
9. ↑ The Cook Political Report, "Mississippi Senate: Crossroads Is Out; USCOC Is In," accessed June 9, 2014
10. ↑ Huffington Post, "Chris McDaniel Challenges Mississippi Senate Primary Votes After Loss," accessed June 30, 2014
11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `rc`
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `pol`
13. ↑ Jackson Free Press, "MS GOP Response to McDaniel: Er ... Try Court?" accessed August 21, 2014
14. ↑ ftpcontent4, "McDaniel Petition," accessed August 21, 2014
15. ↑ Politico, "Chris McDaniel challenge tossed in Mississippi," accessed September 1, 2014
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Hattiesburg American, "US judge: Voters' birthdates are not public record," accessed September 3, 2014
17. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
18. ↑ FairVote,"Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
19. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
20. ↑ Delbert Hoseman Secretary of State,"Mississippi Voter Information Guide," accessed October 25, 2019
21. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "Mississippi Mail-in and NVRA Agency Voter Registration Application," accessed January 3, 2014
22. ↑ Associated Press, "Mississippi Senate - Summary Vote Results," accessed June 4, 2014
23. ↑ The Washington Post, "Cochran and McDaniel officially headed to Mississippi runoff," accessed June 4, 2014
24. ↑ Washington Post, "Sen. Cochran will seek reelection in 2014," Aaron Blake, December 6, 2013
25. ↑ Gulf Live.com, "State Sen. Chris McDaniel announces run for U.S. Senate in 2014," October 17, 2013
26. ↑ The Hill, "Miss. conservative to run against Sen. Cochran as 'Plan B' Democrat," January 13, 2014
27. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2014 Republican Primary Results," accessed July 10, 2014
28. ↑ Mississippi Secretary of State, "2014 Republican Primary Runoff Results," accessed July 10, 2014
29. ↑ Brenner Brief, "True the Vote v. Mississippi Complaint," accessed July 10, 2014
30. ↑ CNN, "McDaniel plans to challenge Mississippi runoff result," accessed July 10, 2014
31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 The Clarion Ledger, "True the Vote drops lawsuit, likely to refile in Jackson," accessed July 10, 2014
32. ↑ Scribd, "True the Vote v. Mississippi Complaint," accessed July 10, 2014
33. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `now`
34. ↑ Jackson Free Press, "MS GOP Response to McDaniel: Er ... Try Court?" accessed August 21, 2014
35. ↑ The Washington Times, "Chris McDaniel files a legal challenge to Thad Cochran’s Mississippi victory," accessed August 21, 2014
36. ↑ The Sun Herald, "Retired judge to oversee Miss. election challenge," accessed August 21, 2014 (dead link)
37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Hattiesburg American, "Cochran: Lawsuit should be dismissed," accessed August 25, 2014
38. ↑ The Clarion-Ledger, "McDaniel says he didn't wait too late to file lawsuit," accessed August 28, 2014
39. ↑ WLOX13, "Judge dismisses McDaniel election challenge," August 29, 2014
40. ↑ Gulf Live, "Chris McDaniel pushes back announcement on status of election lawsuit until Wednesday," accessed September 3, 2014
41. ↑ CNN Politics, "Chris McDaniel takes primary fight with Thad Cochran to Mississippi high court," accessed September 9, 2014
42. ↑ The Clarion-Ledger, "McDaniel lawyer confident with appeal," accessed September 9, 2014
43. ↑ Mississippi Business Journal, "Cochran’s legal counsel asks Court to toss McDaniel’s lawsuit," accessed September 30, 2014
44. ↑ The Clarion-Ledger, "State Supreme Court rejects McDaniel appeal," accessed November 12, 2014
45. ↑ The Clarion-Ledger, "Coulter: McDaniel supporters need to get over Cochran," accessed August 21, 2014
46. ↑ WLOX 13, "Hosemann calls McDaniel lawsuit a 'distraction'," accessed August 21, 2014
47. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Club for Growth President: McDaniel Needs ‘Clear’ Evidence in Mississippi," accessed August 21, 2014
48. ↑ Y'all Politics, "Hosemann statement on True the Vote decision," accessed September 3, 2014
49. ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Palin: Mississippi Runoff Should Be Investigated For Illegal Voting," accessed August 21, 2014
50. ↑ Jackson Free Press, "Childers Responds to McDaniel Lawsuit Dismissal," accessed September 3, 2014
51. ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Mississippi Tea Party Challenger Voted As A Democrat In 2003," accessed July 3, 2014
52. ↑ Washington Post, "The Fix’s top 10 Senate races of 2014," accessed December 10, 2013
53. ↑ National Journal, "Ranking the Top 5 Senators Vulnerable in 2014 Primaries," accessed December 31, 2013
54. ↑ The Clarion-Ledger, "Man arrested for sneaking into Cochran's wife's nursing home," accessed May 20, 2014
55. ↑ Chris McDaniel for U.S. Senate, "McDaniel Campaign Statements Regarding the Arrest of Clayton Kelly," accessed May 28, 2014
56. ↑ Scribd, "Cochran ad in Mississippi Link," accessed June 9, 2014
57. ↑ The Clarion Ledger, "Opponents seize on Cochran ad aimed at Democratic voters," accessed June 8, 2014
58. ↑ New York Magazine, "Republican Senator Fondly Recalls Doing ‘Indecent Things With Animals’," accessed June 17, 2014
59. ↑ The Washington Times, "Thad Cochran has to go," accessed June 17, 2014
60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 60.3 SF Gate, "Reaction to Cochran's decision to seek re-election," accessed December 6, 2013
61. ↑ Y'all Politics, "Trent Lott endorses Thad Cochran," accessed May 28, 2014
62. ↑ Y'all Politics, "EaglePAC endorses Thad Cochran," accessed May 28, 2014
63. ↑ National Right to Life, "National Right to Life Endorses Sen. Thad Cochran for Re-Election," accessed May 28, 2014
64. ↑ USA Today Politics, "NRA endorses Sen. Thad Cochran over Tea Party foe," accessed May 28, 2014
65. ↑ Politico, "McConnell to headline Thad Cochran fundraiser," accessed June 9, 2014
66. ↑ Politico, "Realtors start Mississippi air war," accessed June 10, 2014
67. ↑ Washington Times, "Club for Growth endorses Sen. Thad Cochran's likely GOP primary challenger," accessed October 18, 2013
68. ↑ Campaign website, "TEA PARTY EXPRESS ENDORSES CHRIS MCDANIEL FOR U.S. SENATE," accessed November 6, 2013
69. ↑ FreedomWorks for America, "Chris McDaniel," accessed May 28, 2014
70. ↑ The Washington Post, "Conservative group launches early ad for Sen. Cochran’s primary foe," accessed November 13, 2013
71. ↑ Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, "Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund Endorses Chris McDaniel for United States Senate," accessed May 28, 2014
72. ↑ Chris McDaniel for U.S. Senate, "Gun Owners of America Endorses McDaniel for U.S. Senate," accessed May 28, 2014
73. ↑ Breitbart, "Sarah Palin Endorses Chris McDaniel for Senate in Mississippi," accessed May 28, 2014
74. ↑ PR Newswire, "Bauer Endorses McDaniel For Senate," accessed May 28, 2014
75. ↑ Eagle Forum, "Schlafly Endorses McDaniel in Mississippi U.S. Senate Primary," accessed May 28, 2014
76. ↑ Madison Project, "Madison Project PAC Endorses Chris McDaniel for Senate in Mississippi," accessed May 28, 2014
77. ↑ Coalition to Reduce Spending, "Chris McDaniel Rejects the Debt in MS," accessed May 28, 2014
78. ↑ Y'all Politics, "YAL, Liberty Action Fund Endorses Chris McDaniel," accessed May 28, 2014
79. ↑ 79.0 79.1 79.2 79.3 79.4 79.5 Chris McDaniel for U.S. Senate, "Ron Paul Endorses Chris McDaniel for U.S. Senate," accessed June 10, 2014
80. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Cochran 2014 Summary reports," accessed July 30, 2013
81. ↑ FEC, "April Quarterly," accessed July 30, 2013
82. ↑ FEC, "July Quarterly," accessed July 30, 2013
83. ↑ FEC, "October Quarterly," accessed October 30, 2013
84. ↑ FEC, "Year-End Quarterly," accessed February 13, 2014
85. ↑ FEC, "April Quarterly," accessed April 28, 2014
86. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly," accessed October 16, 2014
87. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "October Quarterly," accessed October 20, 2014
88. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Travis Childers Summary Report," accessed April 28, 2014
89. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Travis Childers April Quarterly," accessed April 28, 2014
90. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Travis Childers Pre-Primary," accessed June 18, 2014
91. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "July Quarterly," accessed October 16, 2014
92. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Chris McDaniel Summary Report," accessed April 28, 2014
93. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Chris McDaniel Year-End," accessed April 28, 2014
94. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Chris McDaniel April Quarterly," accessed April 28, 2014
95. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013 accessed November 3, 2011
96. ↑ The Washington Post, "TV ad war ramps up in Mississippi Senate runoff," accessed June 17, 2014
97. ↑ YouTube, "Jason," accessed May 28, 2014
98. ↑ YouTube, "More for Mississippi," accessed June 12, 2014
99. ↑ YouTube, "Thad attack ad," accessed May 28, 2014
100. ↑ YouTube, "McDaniel addresses negative, shameless attack ads," accessed May 28, 2014
101. ↑ YouTube, "Chris McDaniel - "Both Sides" - Earmarks," accessed April 4, 2014
102. ↑ The Hill, "Cochran's Tea Party foe launches first ad," accessed April 23, 2014
103. ↑ YouTube, "Lost Touch," accessed May 16, 2014
104. ↑ YouTube, "CUPVF: Changing Washington," accessed May 28, 2014
105. ↑ YouTube, "What Happened to Thad?" accessed May 28, 2014
106. ↑ YouTube, "Trial Lawyer Chris McDaniel Voted as a Democrat," accessed May 28, 2014
107. ↑ Sun Herald, "Video: Childers turns the hounds loose on Cochran in race across Mississippi," accessed September 9, 2014

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[show]

Mississippi's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Cindy Hyde-Smith (R)

Roger Wicker (R)

Representatives

District 1

Trent Kelly (R)

District 2

Bennie Thompson (D)

District 3

Michael Guest (R)

District 4

Steven Palazzo (R)

Republican Party (5)

Democratic Party (1)