Judge Appointed To Hear McDaniel Lawsuit

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A retired chancery judge from Lucedale will oversee a lawsuit that challenges Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran’s victory in a Republican primary runoff.

The state Supreme Court on Friday appointed retired Chancellor Hollis McGehee to handle the case that state Sen. Chris McDaniel filed Thursday in Jones County.

McDaniel demands that a judge either declare him the winner or order a new runoff between him and Cochran.

It would be unprecedented for a court to order a do-over of a statewide election, and part of McDaniel’s argument hinges on an unenforceable law.

Certified results of the June 24 runoff show Cochran defeated McDaniel by 7,667 votes.

McDaniel’s lawsuit claims Mississippi GOP officials violated the rights of real Republicans by allowing people to vote who didn’t intend to support the party’s nominee.