Thad CochranWASHINGTON – The Washington establishment delivered a punch to the gut of the tea party movement Tuesday as Mississippi Republican Sen. Thad Cochran, a mainstream conservative with more than 40 years congressional experience, narrowly turned back a challenge from state Sen. Chris McDaniel.
Unsuccessful in earlier Republican primaries in Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina, outside conservative organizations and tea party groups had invested millions in Mississippi in hopes of knocking out six-term Sen. Cochran. They fell short Tuesday night after a nasty, costly primary, and have few chances to reverse the trend in the remaining contests before November’s elections.
The results left the movement’s leaders fuming.
“Unfortunately in Mississippi, nefarious campaign tactics seem to have won the day over ideas and a bold conservative vision,” said Taylor Budowich, executive director of Tea Party Express. “We thank Senator Chris McDaniel for courageously standing up to the political machine. In politics, the righteous are not always victorious, but Americans across the country appreciate the values that his campaign was built upon.”
In another setback for the tea party, two-term Rep. James Lankford of Oklahoma won the GOP nomination in the race to succeed Sen. Tom Coburn, who is stepping down with two years left in his term. In the solidly Republican state, Lankford is all but assured of becoming the next senator. Part of the House GOP leadership, Lankford defeated T.W. Shannon, a member of the Chickasaw Nation and the state’s first black House speaker, who was backed by former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, two stalwarts of the right.