United States Senate election in Mississippi (June 5, 2018 Republican primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 8 (in-person); Oct. 9 (postmark by mail)
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 3
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
2020 →
← 2014
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| U.S. Senate, Mississippi |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 1, 2018 |
| Primary: June 5, 2018 Primary runoff: June 26, 2018 (if needed) General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Roger Wicker (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Mississippi |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate (regular) • U.S. Senate (special) • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th Mississippi elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 |
Incumbent Sen. Roger Wicker (R) defeated Richard Boyanton (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Mississippi.
State Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) initially ran against Wicker, but switched to the special election to fill Sen. Thad Cochran (R)'s seat.[1]
This page focuses on the Republican primary. For an overview of the general election, click here.
Candidates and election results
Incumbent Roger Wicker defeated Richard Boyanton in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Mississippi on June 5, 2018.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Mississippi
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Roger Wicker | 82.8 | 130,118 |
 | Richard Boyanton | 17.2 | 27,052 | |
| Total votes: 157,170 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Top candidates
The candidates below have either led in recent polls, received support from U.S. elected officials, or have been mentioned by media coverage as top contenders. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Roger Wicker (R)
Wicker, the incumbent senator, was first appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2007. Wicker won re-election in 2012 by 17 points; his margin of victory in the Republican primary that year was 85 percentage points. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Mississippi State Senate.
"Gayle and I are looking forward to this campaign and sharing my record of successfully fighting to reduce job-killing regulations, confirm conservative judges, enact historic tax cuts, rebuild our military, and honor our veterans," Wicker said in a statement after McDaniel launched his campaign.[2]
Wicker was endorsed by President Donald Trump (R) and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R).
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| United States Senate election in Mississippi, Republican primary | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Chris McDaniel | Roger Wicker | Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||||||
| Mason Dixon December 13-15, 2017 | 33% | 49% | 18% | +/-5.0 | 400 | ||||||||||||||
| Public Opinion Strategies for Wicker April 22–25, 2017 | 30% | 55% | 14% | +/-4.2 | 500 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Wicker | Republican Party | $6,622,480 | $7,069,901 | $1,852,578 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| David Baria | Democratic Party | $904,539 | $876,607 | $28,932 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Jensen Bohren | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jerone Garland | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Victor Maurice Jr. | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Omeria Scott | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Howard Sherman | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Richard Boyanton | Republican Party | $60,000 | $0 | $25,042 | As of April 15, 2018 |
| Danny Bedwell | Libertarian Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Shawn O'Hara | Reform Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Mississippi, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Two of 82 Mississippi counties—2.4 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Chickasaw County, Mississippi | 6.06% | 4.52% | 2.13% | ||||
| Panola County, Mississippi | 0.12% | 8.62% | 6.52% | ||||
State overview
Partisan control
This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Mississippi heading into the 2018 elections.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2016 elections, Republicans held both U.S. Senate seats in Mississippi.
- Republicans held three of four U.S. House seats in Mississippi.
State executives
- As of September 2018, Republicans held eight of 11 state executive positions, with the remaining three held by Democrats.
- The governor of Mississippi was Republican Phil Bryant. Bryant won election in 2011 and was re-elected in 2015.
State legislature
- Republicans controlled both chambers of the Mississippi State Legislature. They had a 74-46 majority in the state House and a 33-19 majority in the state Senate.
Trifecta status
- Mississippi was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party held the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature.
2018 elections
- See also: Mississippi elections, 2018
Mississippi held elections for the following positions in 2018:
- Both U.S. Senate seats (one regularly-scheduled and one special election)
- All four U.S. House seats
- One of nine state Supreme Court seats
- Five of 10 state Court of Appeals seats
Demographics
| Demographic data for Mississippi | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,989,390 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 46,923 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 59.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 37.4% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.4% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 1.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 2.9% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 82.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 20.7% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $39,665 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 27% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Mississippi. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
As of July 2016, Mississippi's three largest cities were Jackson (pop. est. 170,000), Gulfport (pop. est. 72,000), and Southaven (pop. est. 54,000).[3]
State election history
This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Mississippi from 2000 to 2016. Data comes from the Mississippi Secretary of State.
Historical elections
Presidential elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Mississippi every year from 2000 to 2016.
| Election results (President of the United States), Mississippi 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2016 | Donald Trump |
57.9% |  Hillary Clinton |
40.1% | 17.8% |
| 2012 | Mitt Romney |
55.3% | Barack Obama |
43.8% | 11.5% |
| 2008 | John McCain |
56.2% | Barack Obama |
43.0% | 13.2% |
| 2004 | George W. Bush |
59.5% | John Kerry |
39.8% | 19.7% |
| 2000 | George W. Bush |
57.6% | Al Gore |
40.7% | 16.9% |
U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Mississippi from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the two seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.
| Election results (U.S. Senator), Mississippi 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2014 | Thad Cochran |
59.9% | Travis Childers |
37.9% | 22.0% |
| 2012 | Roger Wicker |
57.2% | Albert Gore |
40.6% | 16.6% |
| 2008 | Thad Cochran |
61.4% | Erik Fleming |
38.6% | 22.8% |
| 2008 (special) | Roger Wicker |
55.0% | Ronnie Musgrove |
45.0% | 10.0% |
| 2006 | Trent Lott |
63.6% | Erik Fleming |
34.9% | 28.7% |
| 2002 | Thad Cochran |
84.6% |  Shawn O'Hara |
15.4% | 69.2% |
| 2000 | Trent Lott |
65.9% | Troy Brown |
31.6% | 34.3% |
Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016
This chart shows the results of the gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Mississippi.
| Election results (Governor), Mississippi 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | First-place candidate | First-place candidate votes (%) | Second-place candidate | Second-place candidate votes (%) | Margin of victory (%) |
| 2015 | Phil Bryant |
66.6% | Robert Gray |
32.1% | 34.5% |
| 2011 | Phil Bryant |
61.0% | Johnny DuPree |
39.0% | 22.0% |
| 2007 | Haley Barbour |
57.9% | John Eaves |
42.1% | 15.8% |
| 2003 | Haley Barbour |
52.6% | Ronnie Musgrove |
45.8% | 6.8% |
Congressional delegation, 2000-2016
This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Mississippi in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.
| Congressional delegation, Mississippi 2000-2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Republicans | Republicans (%) | Democrats | Democrats (%) | Balance of power |
| 2016 | 4 |
75.0% | 1 |
25.0% | R+2 |
| 2014 | 4 |
75.0% | 1 |
25.0% | R+2 |
| 2012 | 4 |
75.0% | 1 |
25.0% | R+2 |
| 2010 | 4 |
75.0% | 1 |
25.0% | R+2 |
| 2008 | 1 |
25.0% | 3 |
75.0% | D+2 |
| 2006 | 2 |
50.0% | 2 |
50.0% | Even |
| 2004 | 2 |
50.0% | 2 |
50.0% | Even |
| 2002 | 2 |
50.0% | 2 |
50.0% | Even |
| 2008 | 2 |
40.0% | 3 |
60.0% | D+1 |
Trifectas, 1992-2017
A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
Mississippi Party Control: 1992-2025
Four years of Democratic trifectas • Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R[4] | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
See also
- United States Senate election in Mississippi, 2018
- United States Senate election in Mississippi (June 5, 2018 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate elections, 2018
- United States House of Representatives elections in Mississippi, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Politico, "McDaniel drops Wicker challenge, will run for soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat," March 14, 2018
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Chris McDaniel announces Republican primary challenge against Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi," February 28, 2018
- ↑ Mississippi Demographics by Cubit, "Mississippi Cities by Population," accessed September 10, 2018
- ↑ Republicans gained a majority in 2007 when two Democratic state senators switched their party affiliation. Democrats regained the majority as a result of the 2007 elections.
