Cochran Campaign Challenges McDaniel To Provide Evidence

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A campaign adviser for Sen. Thad Cochran says it’s time for challenger Chris McDaniel to “put up or shut up” about claims of people voting illegally in last week’s Republican primary runoff.

Austin Barbour says Wednesday that McDaniel is making “baseless, inaccurate, false” claims that thousands of people violated state law by voting in the June 3 Democratic primary and then in the June 24 Republican runoff.

Cochran received 6,800 more votes than McDaniel, but the tea party-backed McDaniel says he intends to challenge the election.

In an email Wednesday, McDaniel calls the election a “sham” and says Cochran stole it with the help of “liberal Democrats.” McDaniel says he won’t go down without a fight and requests donations to help cover legal expenses.