Will Chris McDaniel challenge Roger Wicker in 2018?

[I’m not Stu]

Will McDaniel run again in 2018?

[Del Tachi]

Don't expect Wicker to receive a serious challenger in 2018.  He's much more popular and "conservative" than Cochran.

[gespb19]

Little late here, but just now seeing this.

My guess is probably not. His antics following the 2014 primary really hurt his chances of winning higher office. He wanted to run against Palazzo last year in MS04 but his internal polling didn't look good.

I'd be curious to see how some alt-right candidate or campaign would fare against Wicker, but I don't think they'd come close to actually winning.

[Xing]

Wicker is definitely to the right of Cochran, so I don't really see an opening for him.

[Frodo]

Option 4 -if McDaniel is smart, he could simply wait four years until Sen. Thad Cochran retires in 2020.     

[136or142]

Option 4 -if McDaniel is smart, he could simply wait four years until Sen. Thad Cochran retires in 2020.      

He should offer to campaign with/for Wicker.

[Young Conservative]

I definitely hope he gets a challenge from the rift,  it not necessarily this challenge.

[smoltchanov]

I definitely hope he gets a challenge from the rift,  it not necessarily this challenge.

Wicker from the right?? The challenger must be absolutely insane bulls.it then....

[Young Conservative]

I definitely hope he gets a challenge from the rift,  it not necessarily this challenge.

Wicker from the right?? The challenger must be absolutely insane bulls.it then....

Sorry I corrected it and yes I want a more conservative senator than Senator Wicker.

[smoltchanov]

I definitely hope he gets a challenge from the rift,  it not necessarily this challenge.

Wicker from the right?? The challenger must be absolutely insane bulls.it then....

Sorry I corrected it and yes I want a more conservative senator than Senator Wicker.

I - definetly no. Wicker is a right-winger to me, and i definitely don't want anyone even more right-wing. As i already said - for me that's equal to insane.

[Rjjr77]

I like Sen. Wicker is not conservative outside of his social stances. He's a much more big government social conservative a la Rick Santorum

[Del Tachi]

I like Sen. Wicker is not conservative outside of his social stances. He's a much more big government social conservative a la Rick Santorum

Yes.  Which makes him a great fit for Mississippi, the most "big-gummit GOP" state there is

[Pandaguineapig]

He could have had a future if he had just conceded gracefully, but now he's a pariah among the miss gop and I could see him getting carpet bombed by the Barbour-Bryant wing of the party if he challenges Wicker or even runs for his open seat if he retires

[Rjjr77]

I like Sen. Wicker is not conservative outside of his social stances. He's a much more big government social conservative a la Rick Santorum

Yes.  Which makes him a great fit for Mississippi, the most "big-gummit GOP" state there is

Agree. Mississippi and WV are often seen as these super conservative places, but these are big government social conservatives who win there, not SC deficit hawks

[gespb19]

Isn't he likely to run for Governor in 2019? He'd be a dream opponent for Jim Hood.

Reeves is seen as Bryant's heir apparent.

[gespb19]

Hood will run, I think. Reeves should win, something like 53-45 sounds about right. Still way early though.

[gespb19]

I guess McDaniel could run for the open Senate seat in 2020. Stacey Pickering will probably run for the Barbour wing.

Jones County would be so conflicted.

[gespb19]

It will have been 16 years of Republican rule, and Hood seems to have built his own brand.

I'm hoping this will factor in, but I have zero faith in the state party.

Hood would need to pretty much sweep all of the Dixiecrat counties in the NE corner of the state (Reeves is kind of an awful candidate for NE MS - Millsaps grad from Rankin County), because South Mississippi will go heavily for Reeves.

It can be done, but I don't feel great about it.

[smoltchanov]

It will have been 16 years of Republican rule, and Hood seems to have built his own brand.

I'm hoping this will factor in, but I have zero faith in the state party.

Hood would need to pretty much sweep all of the Dixiecrat counties in the NE corner of the state (Reeves is kind of an awful candidate for NE MS - Millsaps grad from Rankin County), because South Mississippi will go heavily for Reeves.

It can be done, but I don't feel great about it.

Me too. Reeves may be disliked by many, but - he doesn't have David Vitter's scandals behind his back. In the South that's usually enough for Republican victory. In substantially more liberal North Carolina Cooper was barely able to beat McCrory despite HB2 publicity...

[gespb19]

Some rumblings that McDaniel might do it. We'll see.