Mississippi's state Republican Party is refusing to hear challenger Chris McDaniel's effort to overturn his June 24 GOP runoff loss to U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. The party says McDaniel would do better taking his challenge to court.
In a Wednesday letter to McDaniel's lawyer, state Republican Party Chairman Joe Nosef said a court is needed to ensure a "prudent" review of the challenge.
McDaniel is a state senator from Ellisville whose campaign was backed by the tea party. He asked Monday that the party declare him its nominee, saying Cochran's 7,667-vote victory in the runoff was due to Democratic voters who illegally cast runoff ballots for the six-term incumbent.
McDaniel did not immediately comment.
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