Facing the possible threat of a primary challenge by State Senator Chris McDaniel in this year’s election, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker on Thursday released information showing he has been a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump over the past year.
In a press release, Wicker’s office announced that 65 chairs, co-chairs and other leaders of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in Mississippi will support Wicker for reelection.
“We served in Mississippi for the Donald Trump for President Campaign, and today we endorse Roger Wicker for U.S. Senate. We understand the importance of keeping an effective senator who is fighting for Mississippi and supporting the president’s agenda,” the statement read.
“Senator Roger Wicker has voted with President Trump’s agenda 96.4 percent of the time,” the statement continues. “No senator has a higher rating. Senator Wicker has successfully worked to keep President Trump’s agenda moving forward, including the recently passed tax cut and building up our U.S. Navy, which is in line with President Trump’s priorities for strengthening our national security and protecting America’s interests around the world.”
The statement goes on to praise Trump’s record of “conservative successes,” including eliminating government regulations, repealing the Obamacare mandate that required all adult Americans to purchase health insurance, and appointing a record number of conservative judges to federal court positions.
The release contained a list of all 65 Trump campaign leaders who are endorsing Wicker for reelection this year.
Trump promised to support Wicker last fall, according to Politico, even though the president’s former White House adviser and campaign staffer Steve Bannon of Breitbart reportedly plans to throw his political clout behind McDaniel. Trump and Bannon appear to be feuding this week over statements Bannon made about his former boss in a new book.
McDaniel challenged Mississippi’s long-serving Republican senator Thad Cochran in 2014, narrowly losing a primary election runoff after many of the state’s Democrats reportedly turned out to vote for Cochran.
McDaniel has claimed Cochran “stole the race.” He has not said whether he will definitely run against Wicker this year. He told the Washington Times in December he’s also considering a run for lieutenant governor, but he said Bannon was pushing him to run for Wicker’s job. “Bannon says U.S. Senate, and I am leaning toward that, there is no question about that,” he said. “I am leaning pretty aggressively in that direction right now.”
In the Washington Times interview, McDaniel said he would announce his plans this month.
Rick Hynum is editor-in-chief of HottyToddy.com. Email him at rick.hynum@hottytoddy.com.
