Chris McDaniel
Chris McDaniel | |
|---|---|
McDaniel in 2019 | |
| Member of the Mississippi Senate from the 42nd district | |
| In office January 8, 2008 – January 2, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Stacey Pickering |
| Succeeded by | Robin Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Christopher Brian McDaniel June 28, 1971 Laurel, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Jill Tullos |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Luke McDaniel (grandfather) |
| Education | Jones County Junior College (AA) William Carey University (BS) University of Mississippi (JD) |
Christopher Brian McDaniel (born June 28, 1971) is an American attorney, talk radio host, and politician who served in the Mississippi State Senate from 2008 to 2024. His politics have been characterized as far-right, a label which he rejects. He has been described as the leader of the rightmost faction of the Mississippi Republican Party, believing "the government is the big, bad enemy of working people, and it should be completely stripped of its size and might so that citizens may take full control of their lives."
A member of the Republican Party, McDaniel gained national attention for his Tea Party-backed 2014 Republican primary challenge to incumbent U.S. Senator Thad Cochran. After neither candidate received a majority in a hard-fought primary, Cochran narrowly defeated McDaniel in the runoff election. McDaniel ran for the U.S. Senate again in 2018, winning 16.4% of the vote in the nonpartisan, four-candidate primary. McDaniel then ran for Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Delbert Hosemann.