McDaniel won’t seek statewide office in Mississippi in 2019

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Mississippi State Sen. Chris McDaniel talks with members of the media after casting his ballot at the George Harrison Building on June 24, 2014 in Ellisville, Mississippi. Tea Party-backed republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Mississippi State Sen Chris McDaniel is battling against incumbent U.S. Sen Thad Cochran (R-MS) in a tight race. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

by: Associated Press

Posted: Mar 1, 2019 / 07:50 AM AST

Updated: Mar 1, 2019 / 07:50 AM AST

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

JACKSON, Miss. — A Republican state senator who has twice run for higher office says he won’t seek a statewide position in Mississippi’s 2019 elections.

Chris McDaniel of Ellisville announced Thursday that he will “take a short break from statewide campaigns.”

Instead, McDaniel says he’ll seek re-election to his state Senate seat covering parts of Jones and Forrest counties.

McDaniel narrowly lost a challenge for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to incumbent Thad Cochran in 2014. Last November, he finished third in a four-way special U.S. Senate election to complete Cochran’s term. Eventual Republican winner Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Mike Espy advanced to a runoff.

McDaniel says he wants to spend more time with his children. He says he’ll focus on helping elect conservatives and “restoring the conscience of the Republican Party.”