A conservative insurgent pushed the Republican Party closer to another explosive war with itself by positioning himself Monday to launch a campaign for the Senate. Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel announced that he would hold a rally on Wednesday — a platform he could use to announce a bid for either of the two Senate seats he has been eyeing. The possibility of a challenge against Sen. Roger Wicker, or perhaps a bid for Sen. Thad Cochran’s seat, put party officials on edge. Whatever McDaniel decides will probably have a direct impact on the Republican Party well beyond the state’s borders. One features a state legislator who was supportive of McDaniel when he ran in 2014 but now backs Wicker.

Source: Washington Post February 26, 2018 21:00 UTC