/Chris McDaniel considers bid for Congress Here’s how he could win

Chris McDaniel considers bid for Congress Here’s how he could win

Chris McDaniel, his family, walks into Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House,’s office on January 3, 2023. He places his left hand on a Bible for his family, and raises his right to be sworn in as the 118th Congress of the United States. Although it seems unlikely, this scenario is possible, even though it’s too early to be considered. McDaniel is a far-right flamethrower, who was twice unsuccessful in his bid to win a U.S. Senate Seat in recent years. He could now finally get to Washington, if he wants it. McDaniel’s sources say he is still considering the possibility with just one month to go before the March 1 qualifying deadline. McDaniel said Monday that his polling numbers were stronger than ever, and that he is keeping all options open. The race to represent Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District remains open. Although Steven Palazzo is the incumbent for 10 years, that may not be enough to make a difference as he’s currently being investigated by House Ethics Committee over alleged misappropriation of campaign funds. READ MORE: An ethics report shows “substantial” evidence that Rep. Palazzo is guilty of wrongdoing. At least six other Republicans announced their intention to challenge Palazzo in the primary. This includes Clay Wagner, a retired bank executive and Clay Ezell (Jack County Sheriff). This district is home to the highest concentration of Republicans in Mississippi and among the reddest in America. The 4th District saw former President Donald Trump win 68% of the vote in 2020. It is home to McDaniel, with major population centers such as Hattiesburg and the Gulf Coast. McDaniel’s greatest support has not been limited to Jones County. McDaniel claims the I-59 corridor from his home county to Pearl River County. McDaniel’s results from both statewide campaigns show that he is well-versed in the 4th Congressional District. He received 54,000 votes in just the 4th Congressional District election for the U.S. Senate. In that special election, there were four candidates competing in a “jungle primaries,” which included incumbent U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde Smith, the well-known Democrat Mike Espy, and the hand-picked Republican from the establishment. Palazzo received just 30,000 votes in the previous midterm primary. That’s about 20,000 more than McDaniel. Comparing the 2014 Republican primary results provides an easier comparison of apples to apples votes. McDaniel, who was running against Sen. Thad Cobbran for the U.S. Senate, was in fact running against Palazzo, who was seeking his third term as a member of the U.S. House. Palazzo won the August 2014 Republican primary for the House with 54,286 votes. McDaniel received 67,000 votes in the Senate runoff for precincts of the 4th Congressional District in that same year. This was about 13,000 more than Palazzo. McDaniel won more votes in 4th Congressional District, despite running in different races in 2014 and 2018. However, there are obvious caveats. First, and most importantly, McDaniel was not running against Palazzo. The political landscapes in 2014 and 2018, with the nation watching closely the Senate primary, could be seen to be lightyears from today’s realities. However, not much has changed in Mississippi’s fourth Congressional District, both politically and electorally. With so many candidates in the primary, it is likely that there will be another round if not one candidate gets 50%. What does this mean for McDaniel’s chances? McDaniel will run, that’s the simple question. McDaniel posted a picture of himself in church on Jan. 6 to his Facebook page: “Huge crowd tonight. Patriots are rising. He wrote “Speaking to conservatives across the state. Change is coming!” on Jan. 27. People are awake, change is coming!” McDaniel is a passionate Chicago Cubs fan. However, his favorite pastime seems be stirring up the Facebook conversation and making people wonder if he’s running to run for higher office. He lives the modest life of a state senator. Being a congressman can be… miserable. Two-year terms are exhausting. You have to run for office every weekend. The red-eyes between Washington, Mississippi and Washington can wear you down. It takes years to climb the ranks of Congress. It will be a fascinating few weeks for Mississippi if he runs.