Chris McDaniel has opened up a slight leader over veteran incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran in the Mississippi race for the Republican Senate nomination, according to two new polls.
McDaniel, a state senator with strong backing from tea party and outside conservative groups, narrowly edged Cochran in the June 3 primary. But because neither got a majority, they’re vying head to head in the June 24 runoff.
A Chism Strategies survey found McDaniel ahead with 50.6 percent to Cochran’s 47.6 percent. A Strategic National survey put McDaniel ahead, 52 to 46 percent.
Both polls were conducted June 5.
And, the Chism analysis warned, “The race is fluid and the election is more than two weeks away . In this unusual campaign, we don’t know if and when another bombshell will drop and how it would impact voters.”