Cochran, McDaniel Runoff Official

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Six-term incumbent Thad Cochran and challenger Chris McDaniel are headed to a June 24 runoff in the Republican Senate primary in Mississippi.

With most precincts reporting and an unknown number of mail-in and provisional ballots yet to be counted, unofficial results showed McDaniel with a slight lead Wednesday over Cochran in the three-way race.

Neither McDaniel nor Cochran received a majority of the vote, which would be needed to avoid a runoff in three weeks.

Tom Carey, a real estate agent who ran a low-budget campaign, drew a small share of the primary vote and was eliminated from the race.

The Republican nominee will face Democrat Travis Childers and the Reform Party’s Shawn O’Hara in the Nov. 4 general election.