Chris McDaniel Urged to Run as Write-In Candidate in Mississippi

Mississippi tea party activists have taken to social media to urge state Sen. Chris McDaniel to keep up the fight against Republican Sen. Thad Cochran by mounting a November write-in campaign.

Write-ins are only permitted under narrowly defined circumstances not met in this case, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

McDaniel may not be able to challenge Cochran again in November because he missed the qualifying deadline to run as an independent. "Candidates can either qualify as a Democrat or Republican via the appropriate state party or as an independent by collecting the requisite number of signatures and filing with the Secretary of State's office," according to the Clarion-Ledger.

Write-in ballots are possible only if a candidate already on the ballot dies, according to the newspaper.

Cochran overcame McDaniel's challenge in a June 24 run-off election with the support of Democrats, mostly African Americans.

McDaniel has not conceded. "There is something a bit strange, there is something a bit unusual about a Republican primary that's decided by liberal Democrats," McDaniel told supporters after the polls had closed. "Before this race ends, we have to be absolutely certain that the Republican primary was won by Republican voters."

Politico reported that some in the audience chanted "Write Chris in!"

McDaniel later told conservative radio host Mark Levin: "We haven't conceded and we're not going to concede right now. We're going to investigate. Naturally sometimes it's difficult to contest an election, obviously, but we do know that 35,000 Democrats crossed over. And we know many of those Democrats did vote in the Democratic primary just three weeks ago which makes it illegal."

He said that state law forbids voters from taking part in the GOP primary unless they plan to support the Republican candidate in November. "And we know good and well that these 35,000 democrats have no intention to do that."

McDaniel did not comment on a write-in candidacy. The write-in pressure has come from the grass roots.

"When the Republican establishment acts like Democrats, what is the point of supporting them?" Judson Phillips, a tea party leader wrote in an email blast. "Every McDaniel supporter in Mississippi from DeSoto County in the North to Biloxi in the South should stand up today and tell Chris McDaniel that if he runs as a write-in candidate in November, they will support him," Time reported.

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