MS-SEN: Mike Espy announces run for Cochran Senate seat

[RandySF]

Former U.S. Rep. Mike Espy on Monday announced his "strong intention to run" for the U.S. Senate seat Thad Cochran announced he'll leave April 1.

"I just learned of the pending resignation of Sen. Cochran — a person I admire and respect, and who has done so much for Mississippi over his tenure," Espy, now a private attorney, said in a written statement. "However, now that he has announced his pending resignation I would like to declare my strong intention to run for the United States Senate (for the Cochran seat)."
Espy said that since he left Washington, he has "witnessed with dismay the continuing dysfunction."

"I have proven that I can work with everyone as long as the goal is a better Mississippi," Espy said.

Espy served as a Democrat in the U.S. House representing the 2nd District from 1987 to 1993 — the first African-American to hold a Mississippi congressional seat since Reconstruction, then served as secretary of agriculture in the Clinton administration, the first African-American to hold that post.


https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/05/espy-announces-run-cochran-senate-seat/397589002/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Tatiana]

1. Is he the only one with name recognition in Mississippi?

What about Ray Mabus (Obama's Secretary of the Navy) or Michael Moore (former Mississippi AG, not the filmmaker)?

I believe we can put forward a stronger candidate than Espy, no offense.

[RandySF]

2. Why don't they step up and run, then?

[Tatiana]

6. This man endorsed Haley "Tar Babies" Barbour, a racist Republican.

I'd rather recruit someone else.

[CatWoman]

4. I remember him having to leave the Clinton administration

for taking questionable gifts from corporations.

[Tatiana]

5. Yep. Met with Panetta and was basically encouraged to resign.

Clinton appeared to give approval.

One write up:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/counsels/stories/espy100494.htm

I'm just tired of problematic or ethically-challenged candidates. If he was the best we could do, that would be one thing. But, I would hope the party would really take a look at backing other candidates.

I know Jim Hood is looking at the governorship, but he is a very strong candidate that could definitely win this seat for us.

[Jim Lane]

7. Remember that there will be two seats voted on.

Cochran's resignation creates a vacancy. The Governor can appoint a successor, but that person serves only until the election is held. The special election this fall will fill the final two years of Cochran's term.

The term of the other Senator, Wicker, is expiring. This fall will also see a regular election for the next six-year term. Wicker is expected to run for re-election. Extreme right-winger Chris McDaniel, who nearly beat Cochran in the GOP primary in 2014, had already announced a primary challenge to Wicker, but might now switch over to the special election.

The valuable blog electoral-vote.com has a recap of the Mississippi situation that includes this notable fact:

It is worth noting that there is one big wildcard here: The Wicker election will be a regular election, with party primaries and a Republican vs. Democrat general election in November. The Cochran replacement, however, will be chosen in a jungle election, in which the top two candidates, regardless of affiliation, will advance to the final round if no single candidate claims 50% of the vote. Needless to say, this gives McDaniel something to think long and hard about: Is he better off facing multiple opponents, none of whom has won a Senate election, or is he better off facing one opponent, who has won a Senate election? Further, the jungle primary could generate all sorts of unusual results. One of those—albeit an unlikely one—would be if something like five Republicans split the GOP vote semi-evenly, and two Democrats split the Democratic vote. Then you could actually have a Democrat vs. a Democrat, like a California election. Much more within the realm of possibility would be that a fringe Republican and a moderate Democrat emerge from the first round. And if McDaniel decides to remain in the race against Wicker, and somehow unseats him, the Magnolia state could end up two Senate races of that sort. In that scenario, the Democrats might start to drop serious money in Mississippi, while pulling out all the stops to get black voters to the polls.

Given the importance of the black vote for the Democratic Party in Mississippi, my guess is that the best situation for the Democrats would be some ticket balancing: Espy emerges as the leading Democratic contender in the jungle election for Cochran's seat, with a white Democrat winning the primary for Wicker's seat.

[dae]

3. I wish him the best of luck, he was elected in a Republican

majority district beating out a 2 term incumbent.

[GulfCoast66]

8. Wish him well. We all know no Al Franken is coming out of Mississippi

He may have a shot if the African American community rallies around him and a nutcase republican is against him.