MS Sen. Chris McDaniel announces U.S. Senate run

ELLISVILLE, MS (WDAM) - Mississippi Sen. Chris McDaniel announced he will challenge U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in this summer's GOP primary. McDaniel made the announcement Wednesday during a "Remember Mississippi Rally" at Jones County Junior College in his hometown of Ellisville.

"If Washington is disconnected from us, and it is, and if Washington looks down on us, and they do, then it's because men like Roger Wicker fail to stand for you," McDaniel told the crowd of supporters.

McDaniel took aim at Wicker's voting record, calling him just another "yes" man in Washington.

"Look at his record. You'll see he's betrayed us on spending. He's betrayed us on taxes. He's betrayed us on the state flag. He's betrayed us on Obamacare. He's betrayed us on Planned Parenthood. He's been the guy that tells us what we want to hear and always votes just the opposite, and it's time to change," said McDaniel.

Wicker issued a statement shortly after McDaniel's announcement, saying he was looking forward to the campaign. Tuesday, President Donald Trump sent out a tweet showing his support for Wicker.

Wicker has served as the junior senator from Mississippi for a decade. This will be McDaniel's second run at a U.S. Senate seat.

In 2014, McDaniel took on long-time Sen. Thad Cochran. It was a race that captured national attention through big-name endorsements and a string of scandals.

In the 2014 GOP primary, McDaniel actually held a 1 percent lead over Cochran after the ballots were counted. Neither candidate broke the 50 percent of the vote threshold, so the race went to a runoff, which went in Cochran's favor.

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