The Nastiest Election Fight In America Looks Like It Will Continue After A Wild, Frantic Night
AP
There was no outright winner in the Mississippi Republican Senate primary, as the two candidates barreled early Wednesday morning toward a head-to-head runoff.Neither incumbent GOP Sen. Thad Cochran nor his intra-party challenger, the Tea Party-favorite state Sen. Chris McDaniel, had crossed the 50% threshold as of 12:55 a.m. Wednesday morning. McDaniel led Cochran by the slimmest of margins - 49.6% to 48.8%, or fewer than 3,000 votes - with 98% of the vote tallied.
Cochran and McDaniel have gone back and forth in a nasty, scandalous, mudslinging race strategists on both sides have called the most vicious election fight in America. Unless the remaining 2% of votes swing heavily in McDaniel's favor, the fight looks set to drag on for three more weeks in a runoff election.
"Yep," Cochran campaign manager Jordan Russell said when asked if the race was headed to a runoff.
Cochran did not come out and speak to supporters early Wednesday morning, a move that seemed to baffle observers. McDaniel addressed his supporters only briefly, painting even his current position - "leading a 42-year incumbent" Cochran - as historic. He said the campaign would likely know Wednesday whether it would be headed to a runoff.
Democrats would also much rather face McDaniel than Cochran. A McDaniel win, which would be much more likely in a runoff with less turnout, could theoretically put the seat in play for centrist Democratic candidate Travis Childers, a former U.S. congressman. Childers easily won his primary race Tuesday night.
Even being forced to pour resources into Mississippi would serve as a hindrance toward Republicans' hopes of taking a Senate majority in the midterm elections this year.
"A McDaniel win is the best-case scenario for Democrats," one Democratic strategist told Business Insider earlier Tuesday.