Mississippi Democrat drops Senate bid

A long-shot Democratic candidate is ending his bid in Mississippi’s special Senate election, giving hope to a party that sees a unified front as its best chance at pulling off a miracle in November.

Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton announced Tuesday that he would step aside, leaving former Rep. Mike Espy the lone Democrat in the race.

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“The nature of this special election, with a short qualifying period, was such that potential candidates had to make quick decisions about qualifying. The historic significance, and rare opportunity, of this special election was also not lost on me,” he said in a statement.

“I still feel strongly that we must get beyond the rhetoric that has been so detrimental to progress, and elect a U.S. Senator who is intent on working with Mississippians who need help navigating the maze of the federal government, working with other senators to push back the rising tide of debt swallowing our nation, and working to find practical solutions to the many challenges facing people across Mississippi.”

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Espy will now square off against two Republicans, incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and state Sen. Chris McDaniel, in the November election to finish out the rest of the term vacated by GOP Sen. Thad CochranWilliam (Thad) Thad CochranEspy wins Mississippi Senate Democratic primary Bottom Line Mike Espy announces Mississippi Senate bid MORE’s retirement. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) appointed Hyde-Smith to fill the seat in the interim.

Special elections in Mississippi are done under the rules of a “jungle primary,” where candidates face off in a nonpartisan primary and the top two candidates move on to a general election, unless one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote. Democrats are hoping that a split Republican field could allow their candidate to sneak into the runoff in the deep-red state, but that’s far more likely if there’s a consensus Democratic candidate.

Republicans are still the heavy favorites to keep the seat, even as Hyde-Smith and McDaniel begin to lock horns. Hyde-Smith is the favorite of the GOP establishment who believes she gives the party a better chance of holding the seat, and she’s already gotten a boost from a six-figure ad buy from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

But McDaniel, a popular yet polarizing figure in Mississippi politics who mounted a strong showing against Cochran in 2014, is pushing back by blasting Hyde-Smith for her past as a registered Democrat and arguing he’s the only one who can carry President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE’s agenda through in office.

A Democratic victory would deal a significant blow to Republican efforts to expand their Senate majority like they did when Democrat Doug Jones won the special Senate election in Alabama in December. Espy’s campaign is relying on some of the same staff that helped Jones win his election.