Mississippi: Sen. Cochran To Resign

Sen. Thad Cochran (R), originally elected in 1978 and the 10th longest serving Senator in American history, announced that he will resign his seat on or about April 1st and retire from the Senate.  Mr. Cochran issued a statement saying, “I regret my health has become an ongoing challenge. I intend to fulfill my responsibilities and commitments to the people of Mississippi and the Senate through the completion of the 2018 appropriations cycle, after which I will formally retire from the U.S. Senate."
 
Upon the resignation becoming final, Gov. Phil Bryant (R) will appoint a replacement.  This means another Senate seat will be added to the 2018 election cycle.  Like Minnesota, Mississippi will have both of its Senators standing for election this year.  The new Senator, who will likely run for the seat, will then serve the balance of the current term if elected.  The seat next comes before the voters to decide a full six-year term in 2020. 

--Jim Ellis