Will the Tea Party fall to Democrats in Mississippi's GOP primary?


The Mississippi GOP primary ends Tuesday in a runoff, finally bringing to a close a nasty race marred by multiple arrests, brutal campaign ads, and the specter of voter intimidation at the polls. And if incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran (R) is to win a seventh term, he may have Democrats to thank for it.
After finishing second in the first round of voting, team Cochran reached out to Democrats — and, notably, to black pastors — asking them to help fend off challenger and Tea Party favorite Chris McDaniel. McDaniel's supporters countered by enlisting poll watchers to monitor polling places in Democratic areas.
Cochran trailed McDaniel by a scant 1,300 votes in the initial voting, so it's not unthinkable that an influx of Democratic crossovers could tilt the election in his favor. He'll need the help: Most runoff polls have shown McDaniel with a solid lead.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The GOP will be glad to move on from the bruising primary fight. The campaigns and outside groups have spent a combined $17 million on the race, money that could have gone toward attacking Democratic nominee Travis Childers.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Bangladesh plane crash kills at least 25 children
Speed Read A fighter jet experienced a mechanical failure and crashed into a school in Dhaka
-
28 nations condemn Israel's 'inhumane killing' in Gaza
Speed Read Countries including Australia, France, Japan and the U.K. have released a joint statement condemning Israel's ongoing attacks
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada